


Falling (Like Ashes to the Ground)

by mgh003



Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King, Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Pennywise (IT), F/M, M/M, Minor Character Death, Out of Character, Sonia Kaspbrak's A+ Parenting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-02
Updated: 2018-10-13
Packaged: 2019-07-05 17:00:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 25,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15867882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mgh003/pseuds/mgh003
Summary: There is an idea of Derry, of what kind of town it is, what sort of families live there.  A notion that it exists unchanged and unchanging, as if frozen in a time capsule.  That it must be exactly how it presents itself to the outside world.  Safe.  Decent.  Innocent.  So that if you were looking at it from the window of a train rushing by, you might wish you lived there.  But that’s only one aspect of it, and only on the surface.  The truth is, if you really want to understand Derry, and what kind of place it is, you have to know about its shadows, the town beneath the town.  And that starts, I guess, with what the Denbrough brothers did this summer.or, the Riverdale AU that literally no one ever wanted im sorry





	1. The Quarry's Edge

**Author's Note:**

> i created a monster in my head, and for that, i'm sorry  
> i couldn't stop casting IT characters as Riverdale characters and this came out of it  
> uploads will hopefully be regular? but i'm very busy, so sorry if that doesn't happen :)

There is an idea of Derry, of what kind of town it is, what sort of families live there. A notion that it exists unchanged and unchanging, as if frozen in a time capsule. That it must be exactly how it presents itself to the outside world. Safe. Decent. Innocent. So that if you were looking at it from the window of a train rushing by, you might wish you lived there. But that’s only one aspect of it, and only on the surface. The truth is, if you really want to understand Derry, and what kind of place it is, you have to know about its shadows, the town beneath the town. And that starts, I guess, with what the Denbrough brothers did this summer.

On the fourth of July, just after dawn, Georgie and Bill Denbrough drove out to the Derry Quarry for an early morning swim, as was their tradition. The two brothers got out of the car, walked closer to the edge of the cliff and, though they were both well into their teen years at this time, clasped their hands firmly together.

“Are you scared, Billy?”, Georgie asks, looking at him suddenly.

Bill only shakes his head and leads the pair further towards the edge until the toes of their shoes are no longer on solid ground. There is no hesitation in the way the Denbrough brothers make eye contact seemingly for the last time and step off the cliff, bodies plummeting to the clear, sparkling water below. The grip of their hands only loosens after they have hit the bottom of the pond and Bill is starting to swim his way up to the surface.

The next thing we know happened for sure is that Stanley Uris, who was leading Derry’s Boy Scout Troop on a bird-watching expedition, came upon Bill Denbrough curled in on himself by the lapping water, knees tucked under his chin, arms around his legs, and shivering.

“Bill? Are you okay?” Stan asks.

Bill turns to look at Stan and the rest of the troop, face streaked with tears. He seems to be in shock.

“Ge…Georgie…”

All of the Boy Scouts stand for a moment, scuffing their feet together awkwardly. Being only 10 years old, the boys have never seen anyone who was this destroyed and terrified. There is only silence for a moment, however, because one of the young boys looks at the water and sees a yellow jacket drifting almost lazily towards the shore. The boy, whose name is Dorsey Corcoran, makes a fast connection in his head, having seen Georgie Denbrough in town before with said jacket on and having seen Bill Denbrough in a state of shock and fear. Dorsey begins to yell. 

Derry Police, led by Sheriff Jim Hopper, dragged the river for Georgie’s body, but hours after the search began, there was still nothing. The entire town stood by the riverbank, watching in fear. Georgie had been well-loved by most of the town, most of them adoring him the second they saw his sweet personality blossom around his older brother. Needless to say, there were no fireworks in Derry that night. A week later, the Denbrough family buried an empty casket, and Georgie’s death was ruled an accident, as the story Bill told made the rounds. That an early morning swim turned tragic when Georgie Denbrough’s foot got tangled in the thick weeds at the bottom of the lake and Bill lost his grip on his younger brother, swam to the surface, panicked, and was unable to find Georgie in the water when he swam down to help him. Which is super weird because Georgie was on the water polo team and very well knew how to swim. Not that anyone examined those facts too closely, or asked too many questions. Probably because the elder Denbroughs were like poison roses in the garden of Derry and no one wanted to get pricked on those venomous thorns. So the “July 4th tragedy” because just another suburban legend - a cautionary tale they would analyze and regurgitate endlessly - until some new scandal or mystery rolled into town.

\---

Beverly Marsh looks up at the house from the window of the black vehicle hesitantly, as if persuading herself to get out of the car and go in. The house has an overwhelmingly positive vibe; Beverly is not used to being around such a bright and welcoming environment. It feels almost wrong and she has to talk herself into accepting it, getting out of the car and starting a new, hopefully happier chapter of her life. After a moment, she does just that, walking up to the door with a black suitcase handle clutched in one hand and Beverly knocks confidently on the door with the other. She doesn’t breathe in the few seconds between the knock and her aunt opening the door.

“Beverly! Oh, I cannot tell you how good it is to see you.”   
The grin of her aunt Katherine is so wide that Beverly begins to feel reassured, but only for a moment, as the next thing Katherine says is,

“Now, you’ll have to brace yourself, the house is small.. I’m sure it’s nothing like what you are used to, being from the big city and all, but - “

“I’m sure it’s a lovely house, aunt Katherine,” Beverly replies, a little ticked off at the immediate assumption that she is a snob, “but, I am very hungry and very tired, so, if I could come in, that would be greatly appreciated.”

Katherine looks taken aback for a moment at the bluntness in her niece’s tone, but gestures her inside and shuts the door behind her. As Beverly walks in the front door, she is briefly surprised by how homey the house is, but soon remembers the living conditions she was previously in and thinks that maybe she might not know the most about comforting homes. The apartment Beverly and her father lived in in New York City was large, but cold and dark. It was mostly gray, and you could tell the moment you walked into it that the people living there were unhappy. That apartment was one of the things that taught Beverly that money could not buy everything. After all, money only worsened Alvin Marsh.

“You know, Beverly, it’s pretty coincidental that you’re hungry because I’ve been craving a Freese’s burger since noon. Why don’t we order from the Chocklit Shoppe for dinner tonight?”

“What is a ‘Chocklit Shoppe’ and why does it sell burgers?”, Beverly asks.

Katherine only shakes her head, smiles softly, and reaches for the phone.

\---

“Are you excited? Nervous?” Will Byers says, laying across the bed.

“Both. I haven’t seen him all summer.” Eddie Kaspbrak replies energetically, turning away from his mirror for a second to look at his friend. The ‘him’ the pair speak of is Ben Hanscom, the classic ‘Boy-Next-Door’ and Eddie’s best friend since age 5. 

“Which is why nerves are acceptable, but, Eddie, seriously. Come on, E, you have to see what I see. You like him, he likes you...”

“No, Will, I thought you were over this. I liked him years ago and he never reciprocated and I’m over it. That’s not why I’m nervous.” Eddie says, eyes darkening at the subject of his past crush.

“Well, then why, pray tell, are you nervous to see him?”

“Because, O Will the Wise. What if this is the year that Ben… finds someone else? What if I lose him to some girl?”

“That won’t happen, E.”

“Oh, yeah? How do you know?”

“Because.. Ben’s swell,” Will says, smirking a bit and pushing a piece of brown hair out of his eyes, “but like most millennial straight guys, he needs to be told what he wants. And no girl has ever or will ever have the balls to tell Ben Hanscom that he needs anyone other than you. Because you’re best friends,” he winks, “and no one will separate you two.”

Will stands, stretching a bit, and then walks to Eddie’s window. Eddie and Ben can see each other’s windows from their rooms, being neighbors and all, and Will is looking at Ben’s. 

“Oh.. my god. Game-changer! Ben got hot!”

At this, Eddie moves from the mirror where he was checking his hair and over to where Will is, seeing what he sees. His mouth drops open when he sees his formerly chubby best friend standing in front of his bedroom window shirtless and looking at his phone. The muscle that now defines Ben’s stomach is prominent and most definitely staggering to Eddie.

“He’s got abs now,” Will continues, “Six more reasons for you to take that bull by the horns tonight.”

“Oh my god, shut up!” Eddie says, giggling now, and lightly pushes Will as he moves away from the window. 

\---

“So, what was the highlight?” Ben asks, reclining slightly in the booth at Freese’s.

“Of my internship?” Eddie asks. “The Toni Morrison book release party I organized, by far. At the end of the night, Toni Morrison, who is, as you know, my literary hero, says to me, “Don’t rush this time, Eddie. It goes by so fast at your age. One summer can change everything.””

Eddie clasps his hands to his face, still remembering and grins. It takes a lot to make Eddie Kaspbrak smile like that, openly happy and still somehow vulnerable. 

“Wow.” Ben says. “That’s so true.”

“How was working at that construction site?” Eddie asks.

“It was… pouring concrete, every day, all day long. To pass time, I would start composing these poems, in my head. And at night, I’d go home, I’d write them down - “

“You don’t even like reading poetry.” Eddie interrupts, confused.

“I know, that’s what surprised me, too. But, Eddie, working on them made me feel like..”

“What, Ben?”

“It made me feel like I’d finally broken through to something real. About my life and what I should be trying to do with it. Writing. Starting this year, tomorrow.” 

Ben speaks so passionately about writing, that, though Eddie has his own doubts, he is supportive. Eddie hasn’t ever seen his best friend look as energetic about football or any of his other hobbies, and this blatant happiness is something he could get used to.

“Amazing!” Eddie says. “Will you ask Miss Ripsom to help you?”

“I’m not sure, maybe.” Ben replies, looking slightly uncomfortable.

“What about football? Can you do both?”

“I’ll try out, at least.”

“Well,” Eddie is on a tear of questions at this point, “have you told your mom?”

“No. Until I’ve got more things figured out, you’re the only person I’m telling, okay?”

Eddie nods, smiling. He’s flattered by the gesture.

“Well, I’d love to read them sometime,” Eddie adds, “Your poems.”  
“Yeah?” Ben asks, unsure if his friend is just saying that to be supportive.

“Yes.” Eddie repeats enthusiastically.

“Yeah, I’m finishing a couple of first drafts tonight.”

“Great.” Eddie is about to say something else when Ben’s attention drifts.

A girl has just walked into Freese’s Chocklit Shoppe. And she is the most beautiful girl Ben Hanscom has ever seen. At first, he can only see her face, which is gorgeous enough as it is, but she pulls down the hood of her jacket and Ben sees the shock of her short, red hair. She is pale and tall, and walks with a confidence that Ben himself has never possessed. He makes eye contact with her immediately and feels that she is assessing him as he is her. Everything that Eddie is saying goes straight over his head. She walks toward the booth that Ben and Eddie are occupying, and speaks to the cashier.

“Hi, I called in an order for Marsh.” A soft feminine voice speaks, and now Ben struggles to come up with a word for what he is feeling.

“Two burgers, yeah, almost ready, but you gotta wait.” The cashier responds, not looking too excited about anything.

There is a pause and the girl looks down at Ben again, bright, green eyes almost burning into his.

“Hi.” she says to the both of them, but it’s clear this ‘Hi’ is only for Ben.

“Hey.” Ben answers immediately.

She smiles.

“How are the onion rings here?”

“So good.” Ben says, perhaps a little too quickly because he gets a look from Eddie.

“Can we get some onion rings too, please,” The girl says to the cashier, “Thanks. I just moved here, so..”

“From where?” Ben asks.

“New York.”

“Wow.”

Eddie nods, acknowledging her, but looking a little pissed. He doesn’t really like sharing Ben’s attention with anyone, and with the way the girl and Ben were looking at each other, Eddie was sure that the concerns he expressed to Will earlier would soon come true.

“Do you guys go to Derry?” she asks.

“We do. Both of us. Together.” Eddie says, at the same time as Ben says, “We’re sophomores.”

“Me too,” the girl says, sounding very unexcited, “I’m filled with dread.”

Ben laughs.

“Why is that?”

“Are you familiar with the works of Truman Capote?” she says, pulling her jacket a little further over her shoulders before continuing, “I’m Breakfast at Tiffany’s, but this place is strictly In Cold Blood.”

Ben and the girl laugh together while Eddie watches them, a little uncomfortable and very jealous.

“Beverly Marsh.” she says.

“Ben Hanscom.” he replies, and almost forgets to say anything else, “Uh, this is Eddie Kaspbrak.”

“Wait, are you…”

“Supposed to give you your tour tomorrow? Yes.” Eddie laughs, still uneasy, “I’m your peer mentor.”

“Do you want to join us?” Ben asks suddenly. Eddie openly glares at him now. “Hey, maybe we can un-fill you with dread.”

“My aunt’s waiting for me,” Beverly says, “but... to be continued.” She smiles softly and walks away from their booth.

Ben smiles, looking pleased and awed at the same time. He mouths ‘Wow’ and then looks back at Eddie. 

“What were you saying?”, he says.

Eddie smiles. It looks fake.

“Nothing.”

\---

Ben is standing at his locker, clad in a Derry High letterman jacket and pondering the latest draft of his poem when Dustin Henderson, a fellow football player, approaches him. 

“Bro. You are ready for football. I’m not kidding you, dude, you got ripped. Dude, you’re a beast.” He grabs Ben’s arm and squeezes it. “Look at this arm, it’s diesel! Come on, how much are you benching? 220, 225? You got to give me some tips, man. Romanian deadlifts, right? Taking some T? Ginseng? Maca root?” He looks horrified. “Tribulus terrestris?”

At this, Ben pushes away from his locker and starting walking down the hallway.

“It’s from working construction, Dustin.” Ben says, laughing a little at the boy.

“Oh, yeah, yeah, that’s right. Yo, Mike!” Dustin hits Mike Wheeler in the shoulder. “Look who grew up over the summer.”

Mike laughs a little and pushes right back.

“Yo, be honest with me,” Dustin says to Ben as they walk down the hallway, “You work on any houses? Any private homes?”

“Yeah, a couple.” 

“Did you tap some cougar-ass this summer?” Dustin asks crudely, grinning a bit.

“You know what, I think that’s more a fantasy from your, uh, wank-bank, Dustin. I’ll catch you guys soon.” Ben says and walks away from the two boys, shaking his head a bit.

“Peace out, brother,” Dustin says to Ben and then turns to Mike, “He totally did it, bro. He totally did.” 

The bell rings as the football players go to their first class.

\---

“So,” Eddie says, leading Beverly out of the office and into the hallway, “I usually start off my tours with a little history and context. Derry High first opened its doors in 1941 and -”

“And hasn’t been redecorated since, apparently.” Beverly says, interrupting Eddie, who has the decency to only look slightly pissed off, “Honestly, I feel like I’m wandering through the lost epilogue of Our Town.” 

Eddie laughs at that and for a moment, it seems like he might give Beverly a chance. 

“So, what’s the social scene like here? Any nightclubs?” Beverly asks Eddie.

“A strip club called the Ho Zone and a tragic gay bar called Innuendo.” Will Byers says, appearing from nowhere. “Friday nights, football games and then tailgate games at the Walmart parking lot. Saturday night is movie night, regardless of what’s playing at the Aladdin, and you better get there early, because we don’t have reserve seating in Derry. And on Sunday nights… Well, thank God for HBO.” He circles around Eddie and Beverly as he speaks and ends his speech, which seems practice, with an arm around Eddie’s shoulder.

“Beverly Marsh, Will Byers. Beverly’s new here. Will is -”

“Gay, thank God. Let’s be best friends.” Beverly says, extending a hand out to Will, which he shakes.

“Is it true what they say about your dad?” Will asks, almost whispering, but definitely not. He is intrigued.

Eddie gives him a look.

“That he’s the devil incarnate?” she pauses. “Yes. Does everyone here know?”

Eddie nods slightly, not making eye contact. Beverly sighs.

“Wonderful. Ten minutes in and I’m already the token damaged girl of Derry High.”

She walks off, looking frustrated. Behind her, Eddie nudges Will and gives him a disapproving glance before following Beverly.

“What?” Will asks, looking confused.

\---

As Ben Hanscom walks into the auditorium, he is met with the singing voice of Audra Phillips, which is lucky, because that is exactly who he hoped he’d find there. His reluctance to go to Miss Ripsom is so strong that he is willing to risk being violently ejected by Audra, Patricia Blum, and Myra Burke, who together make up Derry High’s most popular band, Audra and the Pussycats. The members of the band can be easily identified by the cat ears they wear almost 24/7. Ben is counting on the fact that since they write most of the songs that they perform, they will know a thing or two about writing poetry and how to make his better. Ben is not naive, and he knows that there is no way in hell that they will ever sing any of his words, but somewhere deep inside him, he wishes that that would happen. Which is another reason why he goes to Audra and the Pussycats first.

The girls are harmonizing with their eyes closed, so Ben stands there for a few moments, not wanting to interrupt, until Audra opens her eyes and stops. She quiets the other girls with a sharp hand movement.

“Excuse me, this is a closed rehearsal.” she says, not rudely, but certainly not in a kind way.

“I’m sorry, I… Audra, right? I was hoping I could talk to you about some poems I wrote?”

“Let me just stop you right there,” Audra answers, standing up as she speaks, “You’re staring at our pussycat ears, which is rude, but let me break this, and them, down for you. The Pussycats are building a brand, creating a signature look, okay?” She snaps her fingers in a zig-zag motion as she speaks. “We’re telling a story. Last year, we won this county’s Battle of the Bands.”

“That we did.” Patricia interjects.

“This year, we’d like to build on that success, continue telling our story with songs we write.”

“I get that, it’s just-”

“Read my glossed lips, Benny. Not. Gonna. Happen.”

Audra waves daintily and sits back down, flipping her auburn hair over one shoulder and adjusting the music on her stand. It’s very clear to Ben that she is done with him.

\---

“Oh, and of course there’s the Back-to-School semi formal thing-” Eddie is starting to say to Beverly when she cuts him off again.

“Oh!” she says, looking interested suddenly. Eddie looks in the direction she’s looking and sees Ben walking down the hallway. “There’s the hottie we were with last night. The blond Ansel Elgort. Is he your boyfriend?”

Eddie replies, 

“No, we’re just friends.”

Will, who is still tagging along, says,

“No, he’s straight.”

Eddie and Beverly both look at Will, giggling a bit before looking back at Ben.

“In that case,” Beverly says, “mind putting in a word?”

“Actually, to clarify, Eddie and Ben aren’t dating, but there is… history and it is highly unlikely that anyone will ever get a word in with Ben Hanscom.” Will says.

“Will, there is no actual history. I used to like him, now I don’t. That’s it. End of story.” Eddie says, frustrated that the subject keeps being brought up.

“Eddie, if this bothers you, then I will keep my hands off of him.” Beverly promises. “Do you know if he’s coming to the semi formal tonight?” 

“He is, but I heard it might be getting canceled. Because of what happened to Georgie. They’re gonna tell us at the assembly.” Will says, suddenly a little bit more serious.

“Who’s Georgie, and what happened to him?” Beverly asks.

Eddie and Will look at her with a little bit of hesitation, almost as if not wanting to already unveil some of the darkness of Derry on her second day in town. 

\---

“Thank you for that moment of silence,” Bill Denbrough says, standing on the podium in front of the entire school. He is dressed in all black. “Many of you were lucky enough to have known my brother personally. Each and every one of you meant the world to Georgie. I loved my brother. He was and always will be my best friend. So I speak with the confidence only a brother could have… Georgie wouldn’t want us to spend the year in mourning. Georgie would want us to move on with our lives. Which is why I’ve asked the School Board not to cancel the Back-to-School semi-formal.” The entire school cheers and Bill grins, pleased with himself. “But rather, to let us use it as a way to heal, collectively, and celebrate my brother’s too, too short life on this mortal coil. Thank you all.”

Bill is stepping down from the podium when Ben sees Mrs. Ripsom looking at him. He quickly looks away. After all, he has tried so hard to forget and, especially with Beverly in the picture, it is just too much to get back into. 

\---

On one of the hottest days of the summer, Ben is on his way home from what seemed like the longest day of his life when he sees the car, a teal Volkswagen Beetle. His face is dripping with sweat, and he pulls up his shirt to wipe it off. When he drops the shirt, he sees that it’s her who is driving the Beetle. Miss Ripsom. Derry High’s English teacher. She is relatively young for a teacher and he’s heard a lot of guys talking about wanting to fuck her, but he hasn’t seen the appeal. Sure, she’s young and pretty and has a good body, but Ben really doesn’t focus on looks. In fact, Ben has never really wanted to be with a girl before. All of that is beside the point. Miss Ripsom is pulling up beside him now and he doesn’t see the point in not talking to her. Ben had her for English last year and she was nice enough. Always talking to him about his work like it actually meant something. Occasionally, he got an odd vibe from her, like when she would watch him while the rest of the class was watching a movie. But, Ben forgot it because it really didn't seem like it mattered. Now, Miss Ripsom is here, with a car and it’s a long walk home and Ben’s starting to think if she offered him a ride, that maybe he would take it.

“Miss Ripsom, hey!” he says.

“Ben,” she says carefully but firmly, “What are you doing walking in this heat?”

“Um,” he says, thinking for a moment, “Building character?”

She laughs and then gives him another quick once over.

“Do you want a ride?” she says.

And because Ben is trusting and kind and oh-so-tired and it kind of looks like it will storm, he accepts. He gets in Miss Ripsom’s car and she starts the drive to his home. Looking back, Ben recalls that he didn’t tell her where he lives, but she knew and she was headed there. 

It starts raining a few minutes into the drive. Nothing serious, but then the first thunder clap hits and Miss Ripsom startles so badly that she nearly crashes into the car in front of hers. She tells Ben that she needs to pull over for a few minutes, that she’s too afraid of thunderstorms to drive. Ben says that it’s alright, but he’s already regretting his decision to not just walk. The pair sits in silence for a few minutes in the Beetle, combined heat and rain fogging up the windows a bit. It’s awkward, definitely and Ben considers just getting out and walking. If Ben thought he was uncomfortable then, he really feels it when he feels the hand on his thigh. 

The touch is so light that he thinks he imagined it at first. Ben shifts his lower half, looking out the window at the droplets running quickly down the pane. The light pressure on his leg lifts for a second and Ben definitely is thinking he imagined it, but also that he would like to get out of the car, now please. The pressure is back, but it’s higher. Like, 3 or 4 inches higher. And now the pressure is stronger. Ben is suddenly terrified to look away from the window, so he watches the water flow for another few seconds and then, all of a sudden, his leg is being gripped and he’s looking into the eyes of Miss Ripsom. Her brown irises have almost disappeared behind the pupil and she’s smiling widely and there’s a hand on his crotch and Ben is so scared. His hands shake as he lightly pushes her hand off and now that wide smile is gone and she’s frowning. She’s telling Ben how disappointed she is that he isn’t as good of a student as she thought he was and how she has to punish him. Miss Ripsom is on top of him now and his wrists are held down by her strong, manicured fingers and her lips are on top of his and Ben is wishing he is anywhere but where he is. Her mouth is growing more insistent and now she’s biting at his bottom lip to try and get him to open up but he is refusing and she’s pulling away and looking so upset and disappointed that Ben feels badly. 

Ben has tried to forget the feeling of Miss Ripsom grinding her weight down onto him. He has tried to forgot the scent of her breath when she put his hands on her for the first time. He has tried to forget exactly how her voice sounded when she told him he was doing so good for her. He’s terrified that he won’t forget how he kissed her back, how he touched her, and then how he hit her. He’s fearful that someone saw the two of them and how they’ll say it was him who violated her. He is petrified of having her touch him again because he knows he might not be strong enough to stop her this time.

Ben Hanscom has a secret, and he’s scared.

\---

It’s lunchtime before Beverly finds her friends again. When she sees the lunch table with Eddie, Ben and Will, she doesn’t hesitate. She marches over to them confidently. Eddie and Ben are looking down at a few sheets of paper and Eddie is obviously reading, but he looks up at Ben occasionally with some concern in his eyes. 

“Can I join?” Beverly asks.

It breaks the spell. Eddie looks away from Ben, eyes on his lunch tray, Ben startles and starts shoving the papers in his pockets and Will just looks at her. 

“Yeah.” Eddie says.

“What are we doing?” Beverly asks, feeling like she just interrupted a moment.

“Reading one of Ben’s poems.” Eddie says, a little proudly, with a small grin on his face.

“I thought that we were going to have to pretend to like them,” Will says,”but they’re actually really good.”

“Wait, those were all your poems? Something you wrote?” Beverly says, impressed.

“It’s rough.” Ben says, looking down.

“No, it’s great.” Eddie replies.

“It’s incredible,” Beverly says, “actually. I don’t know anyone that writes poetry still.”

Eddie feels like he’s being one upped and he is not okay with it.

“Is that your thing?” Beverly asks, “Writing? Are you doing something with that?”

“Yeah, that’s the plan.” Ben says, desperately trying to change the subject. “So, how’s your first day going? Good?”

“Not to be a complete narcissist, but I thought people would be more…”

“Obsessed with you?” Will says bluntly. Beverly has the courtesy to look a little embarrassed. “Any other year you’d be trending number 1, for sure. This year, though, it’s all about Bill trying to win the Best Supporting Psycho Oscar for his role as Derry High’s bereaved widower.”

Ben smiles.

“Hey, I should go, gotta check out a book for English and then football tryouts, so-”

“You play football, too? What don’t you do?” Beverly says, bewildered.

Ben only smiles a bit and walks away. The group of friends only has a moment of silence before..

“Beverly Marsh,” Bill Denbrough says, approaching the table. “I’d heard whisperings. I’m Bill Denbrough. May I sit? Eddie, would you mind?”

Eddie looks pissed, but reluctantly scoots.

“So,” Bill says, tucking a lock of auburn hair behind one ear, “What are you three hens gossiping about? Ben’s Efron-esque emergence from the chrysalis of puberty?”

“Extracurriculars,” Beverly says hesitantly, defusing some tension, “Keene wants me to sign up for a few.”

“Cheerleading!” Bill says, “You must. I’m senior captain of the Derry Tigers.” He beams.

“Is cheerleading still a thing?” Will asks sarcastically.

“Is being the Gay Best Friend still a thing?” Bill shoots back. “Some people say it’s retro, I say it’s eternal and iconic.”

“I did cheerlead a bit back in New York. I’m in.” Beverly says. “Eddie, you’re trying out, too.”

“Of course,” Bill says, “anyone’s welcome to try out, but Eddie’s already got so much,” he glances at Eddie’s lunch tray, “on his plate right now and being a cheerleader is kind of a full time thing. But, open to all!” He stands. “Follow me on Twitter, and I’ll do the same. My handle is @silverbill.”

He blows a kiss and walks back to his group of friends, seeming pleased with himself in a way that you wouldn’t expect from a boy whose brother just died. Beverly, Eddie and Will unintentionally roll their eyes at the same time as soon as Bill’s back is turned.

“Okay. Go ahead and hate on cheerleading, but if Ben-”

“Beverly, I’d love to be a cheerleader.” Eddie pauses, unsure if he should continue. “It would look great on my college applications. But, last year when I tried out, Bill said I was too fat.” He shrugs, looking down a his plate.

“Too season 5 Betty Draper.” Will says. “It was a great line,” Eddie looks at Will, betrayed. “...but not at all true.”

“Well,” Beverly says, “You’re a total smoke show now.” Eddie looks unsurely at her. “I mean it. As hot and as smart as you are, you should be the Queen Bey of this drab hive. Look, if you want to be a Derry cheerleader, I’ll help you prep. I have moves.”

Eddie thinks on it for a second and then,

“Okay. You know what? Show me your moves.”

\---

Cheerleading tryouts. Eddie and Beverly are clad in black and orange, Derry High’s school colors. They cheer as Bill and two others watch them, unimpressed and uninterested. 

“Woo! Go Tigers!” Beverly says when they finish, shaking her poms a bit.

“Hmm.” Bill says, face neutral. “Eddie, where’s the heat? Where’s the sizzle? You know, it’s perfectly acceptable to not be, well, a prude all the time. This is cheerleading. You need some appeal.”

“Well,” Beverly says, annoyed now. “You haven’t seen our big finish yet.”

She grabs Eddie’s arm and pulls him closer to her. Eddie looks at her questioningly.

She whispers, “ Don’t freak out, just trust me.” Beverly lies her hand on his cheek and pulls him in for a kiss.

As soon as her lips touch his, Eddie knows that Beverly being his friend won’t be a problem. The kiss is nice, sure, a little dry, and Beverly smells like lavender this close up. The kiss lingers for a second, but Bill is not convinced. He rolls his eyes and hands his clipboard off to one of the boys. Beverly pulls away from Eddie, and they both look like they’re on the same page: they aren’t attracted to each other. When they look at Bill, his arms are crossed and he is openly frowning.

“Check your sell-by date, Eddie, faux relationships haven’t been believable since 1994. So, let’s see if you do better with the interview portion of our audition.” Bill pauses. “Eddie. How’s your appetite doing?”

Eddie shakes his head. He looks defeated.

“Um.. it’s fine now, thanks for asking.”

Bill immediately turns to Beverly.

“Beverly, has Eddie told you about his problem yet?”

“Uh, no.” Beverly says, hoping to convey to her friend that he really doesn’t have to.

“Go ahead, Eddie. Tell Beverly about your disorder and your dear mother.”

“I used to have a problem with eating.” Eddie says, looking ashamed.

Bill laughs.

“I wouldn’t say ‘problem’.”

“It’s over now.”

“In fact, your mother is probably why you had such an issue, isn’t she?”

“That’s what some people think.”

“What do you have to say about that, Eddie?” Bill says, leaning forward. “Go ahead, the floor is yours. Whatever you’ve been dying to spew about your mother and how she treated you, unleash it. Destroy her. Tear her a new one.”

Beverly looks down at Eddie’s hands. They are clenched into fists with his nails digging into his soft palm.

“Rip her to shreds,” Bill continues. “Annihilate her.”

“I just…” Eddie says, now on the verge of tears.

“Finally.” Bill whispers.

“I just wanted to say I’m sorry about what happened to Georgie. I can’t even imagine what you and your family must be going through.”

Bill looks frustrated. “Right.” He sighs. “Beverly, welcome to the cheerleading squad! Eddie,” he grits his teeth. “Better luck next time.”

Beverly looks at Eddie.

“Wait, what? Why?” she says, looking at Bill, confused. “Because you couldn’t bully Eddie into spilling his issues?”

“I need people with fire on my squad.” Bill says.

“I know what you need, Bill,” Beverly says, looking at him with coldness in her eyes. “because I know who you are. You would rather people fear than like you, so you traffic in terror and intimidation.”

Bill is glaring at her now.

“It won’t last.” Beverly says, moving closer to him. “Eventually, there will be a reckoning. Or… maybe that reckoning is now. And maybe, that reckoning… is me.”

She is now face-to-face with Bill.

“Eddie and I come as a matching set. You want one, you take us both. You wanted fire?” Beverly pauses, green eyes blazing. “Sorry, silverbill, my specialty’s ice.”

They stare each other down. Eddie is quietly laughing behind Beverly, amazed.

\---

Beverly brushes some imaginary lint off of the shoulder of Eddie’s uniform. They both giggle.

“Perfect.” Beverly says and smiles at him. “Very Betty Draper, season 1.”

She turns away from Eddie, adjusting her pleated skirt and looking into the mirror. Eddie puts a hand on her shoulder, almost awkwardly and whispers her name, pulling her to the side so no others can snoop into their conversation.

“Why did…” Eddie hesitates. “Why did you defend me? I know the crowd you ran with in New York. Why are you being so… nice?”

He feels like a dick when her face falls a bit. She looks at Eddie, bites her lip, and leads him out the door of the bathroom that they were occupying. The two cheerleaders walk out the door that leads to the football field, where the tryouts for the football team are being held. Neither of them speak as they walk. Beverly clears her throat as they reach the track and begins to talk.

“When my father got arrested, it was the worst thing… ever. All these trolls started writing horrible things about us. I’d get letters and emails saying that my dad was a perverted abuser and I was the spoiled rich-bitch ice princess who didn’t do a thing until it affected me. And what hurt the most about it was… the things the trolls were writing were true. I was like Bill.” Beverly looks at Eddie, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. “I was worse than Bill. So, when the social worker told me I was moving to Derry to be with my aunt, I made a pact with myself to always speak up for anyone who is being wronged and become, maybe, hopefully, a better version of myself.”

Eddie listens carefully.

“That’s lot of pressure.” Eddie says, sounding unsure.

There is a moment of silence. Beverly looks very uncomfortable, and Eddie decides right then that he wants to trust her. He wants to be open and understanding for her. Even though he feels like she’ll take Ben away, he can’t help but feel incredibly connected to her, in a way that he’s never really felt connected to anybody but Ben.

“When my father died, it broke my mom. And, after she got over her grief about him, she got super intense and weird and toxic and she turned on me. Said that I wasn’t a good enough son and that my ‘misbehavior’ killed my dad. She said all these awful things to me about being gay and that I was a disappointment to her. And, with the loss of my dad, I was super fragile and got into a bad cycle where I just wouldn’t eat. Like ever. It wasn’t on purpose; I just never really felt hungry. If I tried to eat something, my stomach would just reject it. And Bill noticed, somehow, and told the whole school that I was bulimic and would make myself throw up in the bathroom after I ate. My mom heard about the rumors from another parent and started keeping me home all the time to make sure I would eat and she put me on all kinds of pills to try and help, but they only made things worse. I ended up in the hospital.” Eddie pauses and looks at Beverly. “Ben and his family saved me. They let me stay with them for a while until my eating became regular and I started to feel safe again. For a while, I blamed Bill for all of my problems. I told myself that he was the reason that it became unsafe. But then I realized something. Bill hurt me…” Eddie looks at the ground, and then up at Beverly, who is watching him with pity in her eyes. “But it’s my mom who broke me.”

Beverly doesn’t know how to react to the slew of information that was put on her, so she tries to distract Eddie. She sees Ben running with a group of guys on the field and decides that that might be enough to make Eddie happier, or at least more comfortable. As he talked, she could see his hands shaking.

“Ben!” she calls.

He jogs over.

“Hi, Teen Outlander.” Beverly says as Ben approaches her and Eddie.

“Hey.” Ben says, looking them up and down. “Nice outfits.”

“I think you should come with us tonight to the Back-to-School formal.” Beverly says, surprising herself. Eddie looks at her, confusedly and a little annoyed.

“I’m not really in the headspace for a dance.” Ben says, cocking his at Eddie a little, almost asking Was this your idea? Eddie shakes his head quickly.

“Oh, that’s okay.” Eddie says. Beverly glances at Eddie for a second, who seems kind of dejected,

“Totally unacceptable, Benny. We need an escort. Take a break from being a tortured writing genius, and come spend a blissful evening with not one, but two newly-minted Derry cheerleaders. We’ll text you time and place.”

Ben looks at her and smiles. 

“Okay.” He laughs. “Yeah, okay. Bye.”

He walks back over to the field to continue tryouts. Eddie is in disbelief. It’s hard to get Ben Hanscom out of his room at night to do anything other than hang out with Eddie or play football. Beverly must really have an effect on him, Eddie thinks and feels a slight twist of jealousy.

\---

I come home in the morning light  
My mother says, "When you gonna live your life right?"  
Oh, mamma, dear, we're not the fortunate ones  
And girls—they wanna have fun  
Oh, girls just wanna have fun

Eddie is mouthing the words to the Cyndi Lauper hit and checking his hair in the mirror on the back of his door when his mother bursts into his room and violently unplugs his CD player.

“What… is that?” Sonia Kaspbrak says, looking at Eddie’s cheerleading uniform with disgust in her eyes.

Eddie hesitates for a second.

“I made the cheerleading squad.”

“Bill Denbrough’s cheerleading squad? After what he did to you? No. I won’t allow it.” Her voice becomes harsh. “Take that off right now.”

“No.” Eddie says in a small voice.

“What did you say to me, Eddie-bear?”

“I do everything for you. Everything to be perfect. The perfect son, the perfect student… Can’t I do this one thing just for me?” He walks towards his door, away from the judging eyes of his mother.

“Where are you going?” Sonia says, looking horrified.

“To get a suit.” Eddie says, turning around to look at her with a gleam in his eyes. “Because guess what? I’m also going to the dance with Ben. And Beverly.”

“Wait.” Sonia says, looking at her son like he has the plague. “Alvin Marsh’s daughter?”

“She’s actually really nice. And trying to be a good person.” 

“You think so?” Sonia shoots back with fire in her voice. “You think she’s going to be your friend? Let me tell you something. People like Bill and Beverly Marsh, they don’t like people like us.”

“I don’t want to hear it, Mom.” Eddie yells at her. “It’s happening, I’m going.”

He walks out of his room, leaving Sonia looking stunned in the middle of her son’s room.

\---

 

Ben, Eddie and Beverly walk into the school gym, arm-in-arm. Eddie and Ben are wearing simple suits, while Beverly is simply stunning in her flowy green dress. It matches her eyes. As they make their way farther into the crowd of dancing people, Beverly spots a giant banner with Georgie Denbrough’s face on it. She frowns and looks around.

“Well,” she says, looking at her new friends, “It’s not the Met Ball.”

Eddie and Ben seem to see the banner and she says this and the trio all sport identical frowns as they absorb how overtaken this dance is with Georgie. 

“Hey, when do you have to decide about football?” Eddie asks Ben, who had revealed to Eddie and Beverly on the way over that he was considering dropping football to fully pursue writing.

“This weekend.” He responds.

“Guys,” Beverly says, unlatching her arm from Ben’s to look at them, “Can’t we just liberate ourselves from the tired dichotomy of jock/writer? Can’t we, in this post James Franco world, be all things at once?”

Ben and Eddie smile at her.

“I’m working on it, Beverly.”

“Work faster.” Beverly says, smiling back at him. “I’m getting punch.” 

She disappears into the crowd, leaving Eddie and Ben alone. 

“It’s about following your heart, right?” Eddie asks, leading Ben even further into the crowd of dancing people. He adjusts Ben’s tie. “What does your heart say? Writing or football?”

Ben isn’t looking at Eddie as he speaks. He has spotted Miss Ripsom sitting at one of the tables and his heart rate picks up.

“Eddie, will you give me one minute? I promise when I get back, I’ll be a much better date, okay?”

Eddie stands by himself for a moment awkwardly, and then a hand grabs his from behind and spins him around.

“E,” Will says, looking a little panicky, “You will not believe who just propositioned me in the bathroom. Give you a hint… His name might be Mike and I might describe a certain appendage of his as horse-like.” 

Eddie looks back at him, confused and a little disgusted.

\---

 

Ben splashes his face with water at the bathroom sink, trying to ignore the pounding of his heart. He closes his eyes for a moment as he hears the door open.

“Don’t panic,” Miss Ripsom says, “I’m not stalking you.”

Ben spins around, dread curling around his brain and he backs himself up.

“Miss Ripsom, please don’t do this.”

“Don’t worry, Benny boy. I just want to make sure you’re keeping our little secret.”

“I am, Miss Ripsom, I am.” Ben’s voice is blatantly fearful. “I haven’t told anyone, not even Eddie.”

“That’s good. Because you know I could lose my job.” Her eyes are cutting into his. She no longer pretends to be kind and loving; she is unforgiving and terrible. “And you wouldn’t want that, seeing as I’m the only one who can actually do anything with your little poems.”

“How do you know anything about those?” Ben asks, hands trembling on the white porcelain of the sink.

“Oh, Benny, how you underestimate me.” She chuckles. “So, here’s my not-so-indecent proposal: You continue being such a good boy and not telling anyone, and I’ll leave you alone. But, you spill to anyone, and they’ll never hear anything from you ever again. Do you understand?”

Ben is incredibly close to tears at this point, but he nods and agrees.

“Good. Have a wonderful time tonight, dear.”

She leaves the bathroom.

\---

Mike Wheeler is taking a swig from a flask and handing it to Dustin Henderson, when he sees Will Byers passing by with the new girl, Beverly. His face is filled with regret.

“Good evening, friends.” Bill Denbrough’s voice speaks from the microphone on stage. “Are you all having a good time?”

The crowd of students cheers wildly. Bill holds up a hand to stop them after a second, grinning wildly. His auburn hair gleams under the stage lights.

“As honorary chairperson and de facto king of tonight’s semi-formal, it is my great pleasure to introduce this evening’s main entertainment. To know them is to be obsessed with them. Though they usually perform their own material, tonight, they’re making an exception and debuting a cover of the song my parents claim they were listening to the night my little brother was conceived. This one’s for you, Georgie.”

Ben walks up to Eddie, looking frazzled as the song’s opening chords begin. 

“Sorry about that.” he says.

“I give you Audra and Pussycats.” Bill says, and walks off stage.

All Through the Night by Cyndi Lauper starts. Ben looks at Eddie, knowing his weakness for the female diva.

“Wanna dance?” he asks.

Eddie grins.

“Yeah.”

He puts his hands on Ben’s shoulders. Ben isn’t really making eye contact.

“You alright?” Eddie asks.

“Yeah,” Ben says, looking at Eddie now, “Yes. I just had to use the bathroom.”

“Are you any closer to deciding if you’ll write or play football?”

“I think I’m going to try and do both. It’s going to be nuts.”

“So long as you don’t give up your passion.”

They dance in silence, then, letting the strong voices of Audra Phillips, Myra Burke, and Patricia Blum wash over them. Eddie spots Will and Beverly dancing together to the left of them. When the song finishes, Eddie and Ben break apart to applaud for the girls. Bill Denbrough is watching from the shadows and he doesn’t miss Ben’s quick glance at Beverly. 

“Make sure those two turtle doves come to my after party.” he says to his two friends standing on either side of him. “Beverly, too. I’m in the mood for chaos.” 

The trio grins.

\---

“It’s game time at Chez Denbrough, kiddies.” Bill Denbrough says, holding a bottle in his right hand. He stands in the middle of a circle of high schoolers, all of whom are holding some kind of drink. The room is dimly lit and there is a fireplace roaring behind Bill. “We’re going old-school tonight. Seven Minutes in Heaven.”

Eddie and Beverly, who are sitting very close together and seem kind of uncomfortable, exchange a look. 

“Who wants to tryst in the Closet of Love first?” Bill asks. “My vote is ‘B’ for Ben. Anyone care to second it?”

Ben, who is standing next to Dustin Henderson, looks at Bill questioningly. 

“Wait, actually - “

“Yes, Hanscom!” Dustin says, snickering. He is clearly drunk out of his mind. “Yes.”

“All right.” Bill says, wide grin on his face. “Gather round, kids. Let’s see who’s riding that stallion tonight.” He bends down to the coffee table and places the bottle on it. He spins it as Beverly and Eddie watch the movements carefully. The bottle slows and the neck of the bottle points towards Beverly.

“Oh, no way!” Dustin says, still laughing. 

Ben looks at Beverly, concern for her overpowering everything else. Beverly looks Eddie, remembering her earlier promise to him. She wants to be loyal to him; he is, after all, her friend now.

“It’s clearly pointing to… the new girl.” Bill says. “This should be fun.”

“Um…” Beverly says, leaning forward. “I’m not doing this.”

“That’s up to you.” Bill says, walking over towards Ben. “But, if you don’t, house rules decree the host gets to take your turn.”

Eddie looks up at Ben, silently begging him with his eyes not to do this, not to be with Beverly. He can’t stand the idea of losing his best friend to someone else. In the end, though, the closet door shuts quickly behind Ben and Beverly, closing off the view of the pair to all of the peeping eyes.

\---

Ben and Beverly collectively sigh once the door closes.

“I know his brother died and everything,” Beverly says, looking up at Ben, who is on her left, a little closer than he needs to be, “but Bill Denbrough truly is the antichrist.”

The pair laughs.

“So, uh,” Ben says, a little awkwardly, “Do you miss New York?”

“It’s been less than a week,” Beverly shrugs. “But… yes.”

Ben looks down at his phone, which has the timer on it. 

“Six minutes, twenty seconds.” he says. “Okay, your turn.”

Beverly looks at him, a little confused.

“Ask me a deep, probing question to kill time.”

Beverly laughs and looks down.

“It looked like you and Eddie were having fun at the dance.” Beverly says.

“Definitely. We’ve been friends forever. My turn.”

“I didn’t ask my question yet. Is that all it is? Just friends?”

They’re nearly whispering to each other at this point.

“We’re not just friends, we’re best friends. My turn. Did you have a boyfriend in New York?”

“No.” Beverly says. She sways a little bit closer to him unconsciously. “My turn. Could it ever possibly become something more?”

“Are you asking for Eddie or for yourself?” Ben says, looking a little frustrated.

“For Eddie, and you didn’t answer my question.”

“I have never felt… whatever it is you think I feel with Eddie, or any boy, for that matter.”

“Have you felt it, though?” She steps closer to him, purposefully this time. “With anyone?”

“Yeah.” Ben says. His eyes are drawn to the soft lines of her mouth. “Have you?”

“Maybe once.” she says. “You’re a little more dangerous than you look, aren’t you? All boy-next-door-ish?”

They are practically breathing the same air.

“You have no idea.” Ben says. He takes a small step closer this time.

“Your turn.” she breathes. She’s staring at his mouth this time. “Ask me a question, Ben. Ask me anything you want.”

Their foreheads touch.

“We shouldn’t do this.” Beverly whispers.

“We definitely shouldn’t do this.” Ben whispers back.

It’s impossible to tell who moved first, but their lips are suddenly touching and it’s unlike anything either of them has ever felt before. Beverly weaves her hands through the hair at the back of Ben’s neck and she brings him closer, and she’s suddenly glad that she went through all of Alvin Marsh’s bullshit because it brought her right here, to this moment. Ben’s mouth is insistent on hers and she loses track of everything. She just melts into his warm touch on her waist and feels content, for once.

\---

As soon as the pair steps out of the closet, they both begin to feel regret. The sounds of wolf-whistling fills the air and everyone is staring at them.

“Nailed it.” Dustin says, smirking.

Beverly looks at the spot Eddie was sitting, but he’s nowhere to be found.

“Where’s Eddie?” she asks.

Bill steps in front of her.

“He spiraled and fled.” he says matter-of-factly. “Between us, he’s a lot more high-strung than he looks.”

“You shady dick.” Beverly says, and walks out the door. Ben shakes his head and follows her. 

“Crap,” Ben says, hurrying to catch up to Beverly. “Eddie’s cell is off.”

“I’m getting an Uber.” Beverly says.

“Can I come with you?” Ben asks, hopefully. “We should probably try to find him.”

“Believe me, the last thing Eddie wants is us tracking him down together.” she turns to Ben. “We messed up.”

Beverly walks away from him.

\---

“Hey,” Beverly’s aunt says as Beverly walks in the front door and plops down on the couch beside her. “How was the dance?”

“It was fine.” she responds.

“Tell me about it. You can cheer me up.”

“I’m super tired, Aunt Katherine.” Beverly says, and lays her head down on her head down on Katherine’s lap. Unsure, Katherine strokes a hand over her niece’s hair. This show of affection seems nothing like the Beverly she’d seen over the past couple days.

“Is everything okay?”

Beverly doesn’t respond.

“Bev, what is it?”

\---

Ben approaches Freese’s, hoping to see Eddie sitting in a booth with a milkshake through one of the diner’s windows. When he walks in the door, all he sees is Richie Tozier sitting in a booth with a laptop in front of him. Richie sees him, and frowns slightly. Ben, trying to avoid an awkward situation, approaches the cashier.

“Hey, Eddie hasn’t come in tonight, has he?”

“No,” the cashier says, shaking his head. “Just the nighthawks in tonight.” He looks at Richie. 

“Thanks.” Ben says.

He walks over to Richie’s booth.

“Uh, can I sit, Rich?”

“If you want.” Richie says.

Ben sits.

“What are you working on?” he asks, motioning to the computer.

“My novel. It’s about this summer, and Georgie Denbrough.”

“15 years old and how will he be remembered? As part of the water polo team?”

“The Aquaholics?” Richie says, sarcastically. “Considering how he died, probably not.”

“No,” Ben says, “What I mean is… was he doing everything he was supposed to do, everything he wanted? I mean, did he even know what that was?”

Richie looks at him questioningly for a moment. 

“Your coach was in here talking earlier. You made the team. Does that make you, what, Mr. Popular Football God, now?”

Ben shakes his head.

“No. In fact, I’m kind of terrified I lost my best friend tonight.”

“If you mean Eddie,” Richie says, “Whatever happened, just talk to him. You know, it’d go a long way.” He pauses, looking to the side. “Would’ve gone a long way with me.”

\---

Ben eventually finds Eddie standing in front of his house. His eyes are red and he’s changed into a sweater.

“I’m not going to ask what you did with Beverly at Bill’s.” Eddie says. “But, I’m asking you now, right now, if you’re going to leave me for her, Ben.”

“Of course, I won’t leave you, Eddie. I love you. But I don’t think that’s the answer you want.”

Eddie thinks for a minute, staring at his best friend.  
“Why her?”

Ben hesitates.

“She’s just… so perfect. I don’t know.” Eddie looks like he’ll start crying again. “But Eddie, I’ll never be good enough for her. You don’t need to be upset.”

Eddie only shakes his head at Ben, smiling sadly.

“I need some time, Hanscom, okay?”

“Okay.” Ben says.

Eddie walks back into his house.

\---

The blue car pulls up to the shore of the quarry. Two boys emerge from the front. They are Mike Wheeler and Will Byers.

“For the record,” Mike says, unbuttoning his shirt, “I’m not gay.”

Will laughs. He starts unbuttoning his shirt, too. The pair starts walking to the edge of the water.

“Obviously not, Mike. You’re on the football team. But, if you were gay, what would you like to do?” 

“Everything but kiss.” Mike says, looking at Will.

“I love a good closet case.” Will says, giggling. “So, let’s start with skinny-dipping and then see what happens?”

Will loses his balance suddenly, and crashes down by the water.

“Dude,” Mike laughs, “are you okay?”

In his fall, Will notices something in the water. As he stands up slowly, he sees what it is. A waterlogged corpse. There are cuts all over the body and a bullet hole in the forehead.

“Oh my god.” Will says, moving closer to Mike. “It’s Georgie. He was shot.”

By morning, everyone would be talking, texting, and posting about it. They’d all be feeling it. The world around them had changed, maybe forever. That Derry wasn’t the same town as before. That it was a town of shadows and secrets now. On Monday, the autopsy on Georgie’s body would take place. And on Tuesday, halfway through fifth period, the first arrest would be made.


	2. Touch of Evil

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter came VERY fast and i really don't want to set that as the precedent, but i have a long weekend so the third chapter might be out tomorrow night? i don't exactly know. i am very inconsistent. anyway, enjoy this angst-ridden shitshow :)   
> plus thank you SO much for your comments! i was a little unsure about posting this, but your kind words really motivated me to get this next chapter out.. lots of love!! <3

Many of Derry’s citizens, maybe the entire town, had been hoping against hope that somehow Georgie Denbrough hadn’t drowned on July 4th. That they’d come to school Monday morning, and there Georgie would be. Or that they’d see him and Bill in a booth at Freese’s. But that was before the undeniable, irrevocable fact of his bloated, waterlogged body, a corpse with a bullet hole in its forehead, and terrible secrets that could only be revealed by the cold, steel blade of a coroner’s autopsy scalpel, or the telltale beating of a guilty heart.

The night that Georgie’s body was found on the shore of the quarry by Mike and Will, Ben Hanscom couldn’t sleep. He had been tossing and turning for hours, thinking about Eddie, and the guilt he felt for what he did with Beverly. Sure, that kiss was the best one he’d ever had, but everytime he tried to feel happy thinking about it, all he saw was Eddie’s broken face and betrayed eyes. Ben rolled to the side and picked up his phone from the nightstand next to him. He pulled up Eddie’s contact and started a text.

“Are you up? Can we talk?”

Across the yard from Ben, Eddie was also still awake. And similarly, he was feeling guilt just like Ben’s. Guilt for his reaction to his friend’s happiness, and guilt for how he had treated Beverly, who he really didn’t know much about. He hears his phone vibrate and picks it up.

Ben: “Are you up? Can we talk?”

Eddie hesitates.

Eddie: “Sure. What’s up, Hanscom?”

There is a moment where nothing happens, and Eddie can’t breathe. He considers reaching for his aspirator, but remembering the work he put in to rid himself of it, he stays strong. His phone vibrates again.

Ben: “I’m not going to leave you for Beverly. I’m not going to leave you ever. You’re my best friend. Just because I like Beverly doesn’t mean she’ll leave you in the dust.”

Eddie: “How can you be sure that will happen?”

Ben: “I’ll never let it.”

\---

Richie Tozier was being tormented by guilt that night. It seemed everyone was. On the morning of July 4th, Richie had been at the quarry, drinking his father’s rum and contemplating running away to his mother, who lives in Portland, Maine. He had drank more than a third of the bottle and was pretty thoroughly trashed when he heard the gunshot. Seeing as he was on the edge of the quarry, and the shot came from down below, he didn’t give it much thought. But, a couple hours later when it came out that Georgie Denbrough had drowned in that very quarry around the time the gunshot was heard, Richie freaked out. He made a split second decision to not tell anyone, for fear of his drinking habit coming out. Now, the body had been found. With a bullet hole in the forehead. And Richie didn’t know what to do.

\---

The next morning when Eddie was writing in his journal, he heard a knock at his door.

“Hey, Eddie,” his mother said and opened the door. “I just wanted you to know, it’s going to be a bit of a late night for me. It’s going to be a lot of late nights for me, actually.” Sonia Kaspbrak was a writer for the Derry newspaper. “I mean, an accidental drowning, who cares? But the younger son of the wealthiest family in town, murdered? That’s a national obsession waiting to happen.”

Eddie looks at his mother, a little horrified. She sits on the bed next to him. Eddie closes his journal and looks up at her.

“Eddie, you know what I love most about you?” Sonia asks. “It’s that you always want to see the good in people. Even people like Bill Denbrough and Beverly Marsh and Ben Hanscom. But when they betrayed you this weekend, you saw their true colors, didn’t you?”

“You know, Ma, I don’t think I did.”

Eddie stands.

“I gotta get to school. I’ll see you later.”

He walks out his bedroom door, leaving Sonia Kaspbrak confused in the middle of his room.

\---

The doorbell rings at the Hanscom house. Ben answers it and Eddie is standing on his doorstep, backpack on his shoulders and a smile on his face.

“Walk me to school?” Eddie asks.

“Sure.” Ben says, slightly shocked. He grabs his things and they start the short walk to the school. 

“I needed time,” Eddie says, “to process. To separate what my mom wants from what I want… I think I want.”

“Which is?” Ben asks, confused.

“My mom says I should never speak to you again. But I… I don’t want my stupidity to stop us from being friends. Best friends.”

“That’s what you want?”

“Yeah.” Eddie says.

Ben smiles widely.

“That’s great, Eddie. Me, too.”

“I’d be lying if I said I’m cool with you and Beverly, but I’m going to try.”

“I’m sorry, Eddie. I didn’t do it to be a… I don’t know, I just thought maybe it could turn into something. But I think she’s mad at me now… You have nothing to worry about.”

Eddie frowns.

“It’s me she should be mad at. I was the one being an asshole.” He thinks for a moment. “Oh! Don’t tell my mom we’re friends again.”

Ben nods, and they finish the walk to school in silence.

\---

When Ben is at his locker, Richie Tozier makes an appearance. His dark curls are extra wild this morning and he’s wearing a gray beanie. The bags under his eyes are prominent and dark.

“Hi.” Richie says, leaning against the locker next to Ben’s. “Do you think I could use Georgie Denbrough’s death as an excuse to get out of PE? ‘Sorry, coach, I’m just too depressed and freaked out right now to do pull-ups.’”

Ben looks at him, horrified. He pulls some books out of his locker and shuts it, beginning to walk away.

“Don’t joke about Georgie Denbrough.”

“What?” Richie says. “Sardonic humor is just my way of relating to the world.”

He says this with ease, but the way he checks his surroundings after is anything but.

“Look,” Richie continues, pointing at Dustin Henderson and a few other football players who are starting to come down the hallway. “It’s the rich kids from The Goonies. All right, I’m out.”

He walks away from Ben, then, walking towards Dustin. As he passes, Dustin shoulders him purposefully.

“Watch it, Wednesday Addams.” Dustin says, laughing. Ben shakes his head and walks away.

\---

“Now that the great romance of Beverly and Ben is off the table,” Will Byers says, “I’ll just say it: Are we 100% sure Ben’s straight? Because no straight man has that body.”

Eddie looks at him, laughing a little. The pair are walking to the office, where Eddie has been called.

“Speaking of bodies,” Eddie says, lowering his voice, “have you recovered from finding Georgie’s?”

“It was more traumatizing having to explain to Hopper what I was doing with Mike at the quarry. Yet another perk of having the sheriff married to your mother.”

They walk into the office, where they are met with a giant bouquet of yellow roses.

“Oh my god, those are gorgeous.” Will says, fingering one of the petals. “Are those for Eddie, Mrs. Grogan?”

“That’s why I called him.” Mrs. Grogan says.

Eddie walks closer to the flowers, and Will picks a note off the top of them.

“‘Dear Eddie, please forgive me, XOXO, B.’ Who the hell is ‘B’?”

“Beverly.” Eddie and Beverly say at the same time. Eddie turns around and there she is: Beverly Marsh, looking very guilty, but very stylish in a black dress with a white collar.

“The yellow’s for friendship.” she says, “I also had magnolia cupcakes flown in from New York. Because, as my aunt likes to say, ‘There’s no wrong the right cupcake can’t fix.’” Beverly is walking a little closer, but unsuredly, like she doesn’t want Eddie to run off on her. “Also, I booked us for his-and-hers mani-pedis at Chez Salon. I am so, so sorry, Eddie. I don’t know what happened to me that night. It was such a basic bitch move. It was like I was… possessed by…” She thinks.

“Madame Satan?” Will suggests.

Eddie rolls his eyes at him.

“The old Beverly,” Beverly says, looking down. “And I will never, ever do anything like that to you again, I swear on my mother’s grave. Just, can you please give me one more chance?”

Eddie smiles at her.

“Okay.” he says, shrugging his shoulders.

“What?” Will and Beverly say at the same time.

“Really?” Beverly asks, “Awesome. I’ll take it and you won’t regret it.”

She beams at Eddie.

“Okay.” Eddie says again.

“And I’ll bring these-” she holds up the cupcakes, “to lunch so we can celebrate!”

The bell rings and Beverly walks out the door, head held high and a giant smile on her beautiful face. Will looks at Eddie, very confused.

“It’s the path of least resistance, Will.” Will sighs and Eddie continues. “A week ago, Beverly and I weren’t friends. Next week, we’ll nod to each other as we pass in the hall, but that’s it. You know, in two weeks, she won’t even remember my name. And in three, she’ll have latched on to someone else.”

\---

“Good morning, students,” Principal Keene’s somber voice speaks over the intercom, “This is your principal speaking. There have been many inquiries about the upcoming pep rally. So, let me speak clearly: it is happening, as scheduled. Now, on a less felicitous note, if you could give your attention to Sheriff Hopper.”

“Most of you already know the details,” Sheriff Hopper says, “but your classmate Georgie Denbrough’s body was found late Saturday night. So as of the weekend, Georgie’s death is now being treated as a homicide. It is an open and ongoing investigation.”

“And may I interject,” says Bill Denbrough suddenly, “neither I nor my parents will rest until Georgie’s death is avenged, and his cold-hearted killer is walking the green mile to sit in Old Sparky and fry. I for one have my suspicions. Hashtag Derry strong.”

“If you know anything,” Sheriff Hopper’s irritated voice comes back on, “that could help us find and apprehend Georgie’s killer, or anything about what happened to him on July 4th, I strongly urge you to come forward immediately. You can speak with me or Principal Keene. A death like this wounds us all. Let’s not let Georgie down.”

\---

“Richie.” Ben’s voice speaks out. Richie is splashing his face with cold water in the water fountain outside of the principal’s office. Little to their knowledge, Keene can see them through the window in the door. He watches, intrigued. Ben stands 10 feet away from the fountain, watching Richie. 

“Weirdest thing,” Ben says, “This summer, we were supposed to go on a road trip over July 4th weekend… which you bailed on at the last minute.” 

Ben moves closer to Richie, who is currently looking like a deer in the headlights. 

“Is there something you want to tell me, pal?” Ben raises his eyebrows at Richie expectantly. 

\---

Ben walks into Chemistry as soon as the bell rings. He makes eye contact with Richie, who immediately looks down at the desk in front of him.

“We were wondering, Bill,” one of the girls sitting behind Richie says, “Back in July, you told the po-po that Georgie drowned.”

“Yet,” says another girl, “we come to find out that Georgie didn’t drown. He was shot. That’s slightly suspicious, no?”

“Are you living mannequins suggesting I had something to do with my brother’s death?” Bill asks viciously. 

“We’re just curious. What do the police think happened?”

“I’ll tell you what I told them, which is that Georgie did go underwater. We both did. I made it to the shore. He didn’t. Maybe he made it to another shore of the quarry and someone shot him there. Who knows?” Bill’s voice is practically shouting at this point.

“Seats, everyone,” the teacher says, walking into the classroom. “Pair off, gloves on, scalpels up.”

“Can I be with Bill?” Ben asks.

“And I want to be with Eddie.” Beverly says.

Eddie looks up, surprised.

“Oh, uh, I was thinking I’d partner with Will.” He nudges Will’s shoulder.

“Actually,” Mike Wheeler says, “Byers is with me. We, like, talked.” He puts a hand on Will’s other shoulder for a second, then walks away.

Will looks at Eddie with fear in his eyes.

“Oh, god.” he says. Will moves to sit with Mike.

Beverly walks over to Eddie.

“Once again,” she says, smiling, “fate throws us together.”

Across the room, Mike attempts to make conversation.

“So… Saturday night.”

“Listen,” Will says, “Mike, you’re hot. Yes. My type? Definitely. But you’ve got more demons than The Exorcist. We are all on the spectrum, but my gay-o-meter says you should stick with what you know best… girls.” Will looks away from Mike, whose face is riddled with disappointment.

“Bill,” Ben says, “we haven’t talked since the summer. I just want to say, I’m really sorry about your brother.”

“Georgie was the best.” Bill says solemnly. 

“If I can do anything to help.” Ben offers.

“That’s sweet, Ben, but unless you were at the quarry and know who shot Georgie…”

Ben looks down. 

“Do, uh,” Ben stumbles over his words, “do you know if the police have any leads?”

“What?” Bill asks. “No, you ghoul. But it’s only a matter of time. And my intuition is telling me it’s someone we all know.” He looks around suspiciously.

“Right.” Ben says. “Well, I’m not great at science, but I can take point on this if it’s too weird for you.” He motions to the frog the pair are supposed to dissect. 

“Weird, why? Oh, you mean because my brother is being dissected with a blade just like this one, possibly at this very moment.” He takes the blade out of the little paper container and makes direct eye contact with the girls who were talking to him earlier. They are whispering to each other. “Don’t worry, I’m fine. In fact, I’m amazing.”

He thrusts the sharp end of the blade into the soft belly of the frog and drags it down violently. Ben and the girls collectively gasp.

\---

“Every corpse has a tale to tell.” The coroner says to Sonia Kaspbrak, who somehow swindled her way into seeing the autopsy. “Step closer to the body. There are several morbid details you should find relevant to your article.”

“What details, Dr. Curdle?” Sonia asks, stepping forward. “What sticks out to you?”

“The marbling of the veins. Signs of scavenger activity. Ligature marks on both wrists. And a hint of cryo-necrotic preservation.”

Sonia Kaspbrak hands the coroner an envelope stuffed with cash and leans forward.

“Small bills, right?”

\---

“So,” Beverly asks Will as they’re walking to their usual lunch table, “What did Mike want?”

“Oh my God, I don’t even think he knows. I mean, I am devastatingly handsome in that classic, pre-accident Montgomery Clift kind of way, and sexuality is fluid, but can someone named Mike actually be that fluid?” 

Eddie and Beverly laugh.

“Okay, well, I ship it.” Beverly says.

“Well, of course you would,” Will jokes, “You’re a big city girl with loose morals.”

Beverly and Eddie go kind of quiet.

“I just meant that Mike has an official girlfriend, Jane. Anyway, it’s terrible to say, but part of me wishes he would just stay in the darn closet.”

As he says this, the trio walks up on Ben sitting at their table. At the mention of ‘closet’, Beverly and Ben exchange an uncomfortable glance but keep their mouths shut. 

“Obviously I didn’t mean literal closet.” Will says.

“Ben!” Beverly says, sitting down. “Any new material you want to try out on a very forgiving audience?”

“I…” 

“Please?” Beverly pleads.

“Would you?” Eddie asks, setting his tray down. “I’d love to hear it.”

“I’m still working on it, but… Okay.”

“Your hair is winter fire/January embers/My heart burns there, too.”

He pauses for a moment.

“That’s all I have so far.”

Eddie looks down, tears in his eyes. It’s clearly about Beverly. 

“Eddie?” Ben asks, seeing the look on his face. “You okay?”

“I’m supposed to say “yes”. That’s what the nice person always says, but I’m not.” He stands up. “I want to be. I thought I could be. But it’s too much, too fast.”

He starts to walk away.

“Eddie. Eddie, wait!” Ben stands up and starts to jog after him.

“Eddie, wait, listen to me.”

“No! When I think, Ben, of where I feel safest and most myself, I think of us in a booth at Freese’s -”

“Me, too!”

“-but that’s not true anymore. I thought I could pretend this weekend didn’t happen, but… ‘That’s not the answer you want’, that’s what you said to me, and that’s how I feel right now, I’m sorry.”

Eddie runs away from Ben, a little faster this time, and Ben’s about to chase after him when he hears a voice from behind him.

“Mr. Hanscom.” Principal Keene says. “If we could have a word in private.”

Ben looks at Eddie for a moment, and then back at the principal. He follows him reluctantly.

“You’re in a very good place, right now, Mr. Hanscom.” Keene says, “Football, excellent English grades. This morning, in the hallway, you were talking to Richie Tozier. Why?”

“I had to talk to him about a project.” Ben lies.

“Ben…” Keene steps closer to him. “If there’s something you want to get off your chest, perhaps about Georgie, now would be the time.”

Ben gulps, but stays silent.

\---

Ben sprints up next to Richie, who is leaning against the school and smoking a cigarette.

“Keene just asked me if I knew anything about Georgie.” he bursts out.

“And?” Richie asks, turning to look at Ben, with only a little panic in his eyes. He’s secretly terrified the sheriff will find out about his drinking. “What did you say?”

“Nothing.” Ben says. “That I didn’t. But he said if I did, I shouldn’t be scared, and he’d make sure I was okay.”

“Of course he would, you’re a football player. He has to keep you safe. I’m Richie Tozier. That guarantee doesn’t apply to me.”

Ben sighs.

“Richie, I think you’re wrong.”

“No. You can’t go to Keene. If you do, I’ll get in major trouble. Maybe even jail time. He’ll get it in his head that I shot Georgie, because I’m the troublemaker who ruined his precious school.” Richie looks away from Ben and takes another drag of the cigarette. “You just can’t, Benny. I’m sorry.”

\---

The Derry cheerleaders are practicing for the upcoming pep rally in the school gym. Their routine is to a remix of Let’s Go by Headbands. The cheerleaders are standing in two lines and they wave their arms away from their bodies so the line separates. In the center of the lines is Beverly, who somehow worked her way into that spot, and when she is uncovered, she sashays to the front of the two separated lines and strikes a pose. All of the cheerleaders around her are being a little too risque for Bill Denbrough, however, and he quickly stops the routine.

“Stand down, everyone. And listen up. The weather’s predicting a downpour the night of the rally, but already, you’re raining on my parade. With Georgie so present in our collective consciousness, all eyes will be on me. Will this beautiful, exotic, hothouse flower drown under the town’s scrutiny or be swamped by his emotions?” He paces as he talks. “The answer, people, is ‘no’ and ‘no’. That said, I need star power.” Bill thinks for a moment. “I need the Pussycats. Stay loose and limber everyone, while I make a call.” He walks off.

Eddie moves to a corner of the gym, Beverly following close behind. She takes a drink of water.

“After this practice,” she says, stretching, “I’ll totally need a pedicure? You?”

Eddie sits.

“I’ll have homework.” he says, coldly.

Beverly only stumbles for a moment before she has something else to say.

“I know everyone grieves differently, but Bill’s hosting a pep rally to cope with his loss. That’s either brilliant or psychotic, or both.” She laughs a bit.

Eddie isn’t amused.

“Yeah, well, at least Bill’s not putting on an act. Pretending he’s a butterfly when he’s really a wasp.” He gives Beverly a look. She’s appalled at his sudden anger.

“For the record,” she says, moving closer to Eddie, “the only reason I went into that closet with Ben was so that Bill wouldn't.”

“Oh, so you did it to protect him?”

“Damn straight.”

“Okay, so nothing happened between you and Ben in the closet, then?”

Beverly is silent.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought. You know, Ben and I were fine before you got here.”

“If by ‘fine’, you mean you were both desperately single and lonely.”

“We were friends, at least.” Eddie says indignantly.

“You were protectively shadowing him, scared to let anyone talk to him, in case he decided he liked them more.”

“Okay, you don’t know me, Beverly.” Eddie is furious now. 

“It is not my fault you have low self-esteem.”

Eddie glares at her.

“Most of the time, our friends have other friends. That they hang out with. That’s just how it is.”

Eddie bites his lip and looks away from her.

“Look, never speak to me again. If that’s what you want, then I’ll accept that. But, what did Ben do wrong?”

“Are you seriously taking his side?”

“No, I’m not taking any side….”

“And this is your way of trying to be friends again?”

“The Pussycats are in!” Bill says, walking up to the fighting pair. “Oh, sorry, guys, am I interrupting?”

“As a matter of fact…” Beverly starts.

“No, you’re not.” Eddie cuts her off. “Actually, I was about to come and find you, Bill. I have a gift certificate for mani-pedis at Chez Salon.” Beverly shakes her head. “Do you want to come with me?”

“Don’t do this.” Beverly says, crossing her arms.

“Butt out, closet monster.” Bill says, frowning at her. “You have forfeited your right to take the high and mighty road.” Bill turns to Eddie and smiles. “As pour moi, Eddie, but of course. I never say no to a pedi. And I was just about to suggest the same thing.” He turns to Beverly. “Can I steal him for a second?” Bill grabs Eddie’s arm and pulls him away. Eddie smirks at Beverly as he goes.

\---

“Is Eddie still mad at you?” Beverly asks Ben. They had run into each other on their separate walks home and decided they wanted company.

“We’re back to no texting.” Ben says. “What about you?”

“I’m back to being the shallow, toxic, rich bitch who ruins everything in her path. Which is unfortunate, because even though I only just met Eddie, it really like we were meant to be best friends.” She sighs and looks at Ben. “Like… like it was our destiny, and now… It’s like there was this train that was heading to the rest of my life and I just missed it.” Beverly laughs a little and looks back at the road.

“Eddie and I have been next-door neighbors since we were 4.” Ben starts. “We’ve always gone to the same school, been in the same class.” He laughs. “I remember in the second grade, I was having trouble reading, and my teacher, Mrs. Gribrock, told my mom and dad that I should stay back a year, to get caught up. Eddie was so against us not being in the same grade that he took it upon himself to tutor me every single day.”

Beverly looks amazed.

“In the second grade?”

“Yeah. Anyway, when I passed, thanks to Eddie, I hugged him and asked him to marry me. He was like ‘Oh, little Ben, we’re too young. Ask me when we’re 18 and I’ll say yes.’”

“Wow.” Beverly shakes her head.

“I hate that I hurt him.”

“Give him time, Ben. That’s all you can do. And don’t despair, I don’t think your story with Eddie is over.”

\---

Africa by Toto is playing, Bill is looking in Eddie’s mirror, and Eddie is thinking that he never could have expected this.

“Your room’s so sweet.” Bill says, looking around Eddie’s neat room.

“It’s too clean. It doesn’t feel right anymore.”

Bill kneels in front of Eddie, and tucks a lock of brown, curly hair behind Eddie’s ear.

“No, I like how clean it is. Mine is, too. You should come over and see it sometime. But,” Bill pauses for a second, “just you, not Beverly. I mean, she must be evil incarnate if even you won’t have her as a friend.”

Eddie tries not to feel offended and fails. Bill is still messing with his hair.

“And,” he continues, “on the subject of being friends, Eddie, I’m sorry I’ve been such an asshole to you. I was going through some stuff and I took it out on you, which was unfair. Especially since we’re so similar. How, uh,” Bill says, “How are you doing with eating?”

“Uh, it’s fine now.”

“Do you think it’s gone forever?”

“I, uh, I don’t know.” Eddie feels uncomfortable.

“What do you think would make it start again?”

“I’m not sure.”

“What does your mom say?”

“About my eating?”

Bill nods.

“Not a lot.”

“Do you think that I caused it?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Really? I mean, you were hospitalized right after everyone found out.”

“Why are you asking me so many questions about this? It’s over.”

Bill’s face darkens and he doesn’t say anything.

“Bill?”

“Because, you dumb cow, someone shot my brother and I think it was your crazy mother, seeking revenge.”

Bill stands back up and runs a hand through his hair. He sighs, aggravated, and goes back to looking in the mirror. Eddie slowly stands behind him.

“Get out of my house.” Eddie says, tone almost violent.

“Not until you tell me -” Bill starts and turns around.

“Bill, get the hell out of my house before I kill you.” Eddie is a foot away from Bill’s face and his brown eyes are nearly black with anger.

Bill’s face fills with terror and he complies.

\---

Richie’s sitting at Ben’s doorstep when Ben arrives home. 

“Rich?” Ben asks. “What’s up?”

“What’s up is I heard you and Miss Ripsom, Ben, at the dance. I was in one of the stalls.”

Ben moves closer to him in a panic.

“Keep your voice down, my mom’s inside.”

“I’m trying to help you, dude. I’m trying to be your friend here. Even though we’re not anymore. When did it happen?”

“In July.” Ben looks down.

“So, I’m guessing that’s the reason you’ve been weird since the summer?”

Ben nods, still not meeting Richie’s eyes.

“It’s okay, Benny,” Richie says, moving closer to him, “We’ll get this figured out. We’ll go to Hopper together.”

“No! You can’t do that, okay? She’ll know.”

“Ben-”

“You can’t. If people find out about it, they’ll think it was me! They’ll say I assaulted her, you get it? It’s like you and Georgie.” Ben looks up him.

“Okay, man. Fine. I won’t do anything. But you can’t tell anyone about Georgie, either. Deal?”

Ben looks for a second like he might argue, but quickly shuts his mouth.

“Deal.”

The door to Ben’s house opens.

“Hey, Rich,” Arlene Hanscom says, “you coming in? We’ve got takeout from Freese’s.”

“Sure, Miss H. I’d love to.” 

The boys walk up the path and into the house. And they feel the burden of their secrets. 

\---

Sonia walks into Eddie’s room the next morning suddenly, startling him. She is waving sage around and mumbling to herself.

“A little sage, to banish the evil spirits.” she says.

“Ma.” Eddie says, bewildered.

“I’m not joking, Eddie. Bill Denbrough, and the rest of his family, actually, is pure evil. I’m wondering if they didn’t kill Georgie themselves. Sacrificed to some dark pagan god that they worship in that insane mansion of theirs.”

“You shouldn’t joke about that, Ma.”

“Why? It’s true. They’re just bad people. Everything they touch, it rots. I mean, Bill was the whole reason you were hospitalized.”

Eddie sighs. He hopes that someday, he’ll have the courage to finally tell his mother that it was her who rotted him, her who hurt him. Today is not that day. Sonia continues on.

“I am so proud of how you stood up to that dragon, but honestly, Eddie, what was Bill doing over here in the first place? And who else is going to come waltzing in? Beverly? Ben? How many times are you going to let them hurt you?” She strokes a hand over Eddie’s cheek. 

“Until I learn my lesson, Ma.” Eddie says. Sonia shakes her head disapprovingly at her son and leaves.

\---

“You were right.” Eddie says to Beverly later that day when they’re standing at their lockers. He doesn’t look at her. “And what you said about Ben. Sometime it’s hard to admit things to yourself.” He shrugs. “My mother is crazy. I’m afraid I’ll never be normal again. My best friend likes a girl better than me.”

Beverly turns to look at him.

“Eddie, he may not be in love with you, but he does love you. And he’s legit miserable without you, if it’s any consolation. My aunt says sometimes a friend is better than a boyfriend. This is one of those times. For both of us.”

\---

“And Sheriff Hopper’s grilling me,” Dustin says, reclining on the couch in the Student Lounge, “Dustin Henderson. ‘Cause I’d want Georgie dead. When he was like the only good water polo player we had.” He thinks for a minute. “You know Mike, I should have sent the cops to you. Because here’s another unsolved mystery. What exactly were you and Will doing at the quarry, huh? Or does being with the sheriff’s son give you a free pass?” Dustin turns to look at Will. “Byers?”

Eddie, who is sitting next to Will on another couch, rolls his eyes.

“Dustin’s just being a blowhard, Will.”

Will shakes his head.

“I don’t care what he says.”

“I mean,” Dustin continues, “let’s think about it. If a kid at Derry killed Georgie, it’s not gonna be a jock, right? Now let’s be honest. Isn’t it always some spooky, scrawny, pathetic Internet troll, too busy writing his manifestos to get laid? Some smug, moody, serial killer fanboy freak,” he looks at Richie who is leaning against the wall next to the vending machine Ben is using, “like Richie.” Dustin laughs. “What was it like, Suicide Squad? When you shot Georgie?” He pauses for a minute. He’s clearly putting on a show for the other idiotic football players around him. “You didn’t do stuff to the body, did you? Like… after?”

Richie responds without speaking a beat.

“It’s called necrophilia, Dustin. Can you spell it?”

Dustin stands up, furious and pushes his way over to Richie.

“Come here, you little -”

Ben stands in front of Richie.

“Hey, shut the hell up, Dustin.” he says, and pushes him back.

“Boys.” Beverly says, standing up from her position in a chair.

“What do you care, Hanscom?” Dustin asks, looking him up and down as if sizing him up.

“Nothing, just leave him alone.” Ben shoots back.

“Holy crap!” Dustin says, looking around to see if anyone is listening. “Did you and,” he motions to Richie, “Donnie Darko kill him together? Was it some sort of pervy, blood brother thing?” Dustin steps closer to Ben.

Ben pushes him again, harder this time. Dustin stares at him for a second, then shoves him violently back into the vending machine glass. It shatters under their weight. They spill to the ground, Ben under Dustin. Dustin gets in one punch before some boys are pulling him off of Ben, but it’s enough. Ben blacks out.

That night is the night of the pep rally. It pours down rain, like Bill said it would. That doesn’t stop the school spirit of everyone in Derry, though. The crowd is as full as ever, and they are all umbrella-clad. The marching band plays, the cheerleaders cheer, and Sheriff Hopper and Principal Keene talk quietly off to the side, watching. 

Ben is standing off to the side, sporting a black eye, and waiting for the run through when Richie approaches him.

“You didn’t have to do that. Earlier.” He looks guilty.

“We’re friends, Rich.” Ben says, not really looking at him. He watches Eddie and Beverly cheer. “I wasn’t going to let him talk to you like that.”

Richie is silent for a bit. Then, he says the last thing that Ben would expect him to.

“I’m going to come clean to Keene and Hopper.”

“Richie -” Ben starts.

“I’m going to do it tomorrow.” Richie says decisively. “If you want to come with me, that’s fine. That might be more believable, but you don’t have to. I’ve kept this a secret far too long. It’s time, Ben. I have to. And, don’t worry, I won’t say anything about Miss Ripsom. That’s your secret.”

“Alright.” Ben says. He laughs after a minute. “I’m not going to hug you in front of this whole town.”

“Agreed.” Richie laughs. “So, why don’t we just do that bro thing where we nod like douches and mutually suppress our emotions?”

“Yeah. But as friends, right?”

Richie smiles wide.

“Yeah, Benny, as friends.”

Ben smiles wider. Richie walks away from him and back into the stands. The cheerleaders walk over to the same area as Ben and all the other jocks are. Eddie isn’t watching where he’s going and runs straight into Ben. He turns to apologize and his eyes lock onto Ben’s.

“Oh my God, Ben, your eye.” He puts a hand up to it. Ben flinches away. The football players start to run to their spot and Ben apologizes with his eyes as he’s pulled off.

“Now to kick off this pep rally,” Principal Keene says from the stage, “I’d like to hand it over to our very own Mayor Phillips.”

A tall red headed woman is standing on the stage next to Keene. She is holding a black umbrella.

“Thank you, Principal Keene.” she says. “It is heartening to see so many of you here, even in weather like this.” Mayor Phillips motions to the sky with her free hand. “But a lack of heart and school spirit has never been the Derry way. Tonight’s pep rally isn’t like any other we’ve had in the past. And we shouldn’t pretend that it is. Which is why I would like to dedicate this evening to the memory of one of our brightest. Georgie Denbrough. We’re with him tonight. Now, please, join me in welcoming to the field our very own Derry cheerleaders, and their special guest star, my daughter, Audra, and her Pussycats!”

Audra, Myra, and Patty walk onto the stage as Mayor Phillips walks off. They begin their cover of ‘Sugar Sugar’.

Hey!  
Shawty you're my candy girl, the kind with the swirls  
Oh so good, baby out of this world  
Look so sweet, fell in love with your curves  
Everytime you speak conversation like syrup  
S-U-G-A-R, you ain't her  
Oh, honey honey, put money on that bird  
Let's keep it in the circle, you everything I deserve  
Baby want your sugar, I'm ready to get served

Sugar! Oh, honey honey  
You are my candy girl, and you got me wanting you  
Honey! Oh, sugar sugar  
You are my candy girl, and you got me wanting you

The cheerleaders dance to the song, swinging their hips and smiling their brightest. The only one who doesn’t look happy is Bill Denbrough, whose smile seems practiced and dim. When the song finishes, he walks on stage and hugs Audra. Nothing can be heard over the roar of the crowd. When it dies down, a man comes on stage and says,

“All right, y’all ready? Let’s make some noise! Put your hands together for the Derry Tigers!”

A crowd of boys clad in black and orange bursts through a giant banner reading ‘Go Tigers!’. Leading the crowd is Ben Hanscom, who smiles and waves as he runs. When Bill Denbrough sees him, his face crumples. The dirty blonde hair and wide smile only reminds him of what he lost. His little brother. All he can see is him. Georgie. The corpse that was the only remains of his beloved sibling. His heart breaks once again, and he runs off the stage and back towards the high school. Beverly, who was one of the people holding up the banner, immediately drops her section and runs after him. Confused, Eddie follows her.

When Beverly opens the door to the boys locker room, she finds Bill facing away from the entrance and sobbing into his hands. She approaches him slowly. 

“Bill?”

Bill’s head immediately comes up and he wipes his eyes. 

“Bill, what is it?” Beverly asks, moving to sit next to him. “What happened?”

“Georgie…” Bill says brokenly, still crying. “He’s gone.” He puts his head back into his hands and sobs harder. Beverly looks down.

“I know.” she says. “I know he is.”

Bill shakes his head, tears streaming down his face.

“No, you don’t. You don’t understand.” Bill sniffles. “He was supposed to come back.”

Beverly’s eyes narrow and she mouths the words he just said, confused. Eddie, who has just made it to the open door of the locker room, looks in. Bill only cries harder.

“I’m alone.” he says. “I’m alone.” 

Beverly puts a hand on his back, stroking soothingly.

“You’re not alone,” she says, “It’s okay.”

Bill turns around suddenly and embraces her. She hugs him back. He clings to her as if she is the life raft that could have saved his brother, and he weeps. 

\---

When Eddie makes his way back out to the field, Beverly is already there, packing up her stuff.

“Hey.” Eddie says. Beverly turns around to look at him. 

“Hey.” 

“I saw you and Bill.” They start to walk together. “Not many would have done what you did.”

Beverly laughs.

“Full disclosure, I’ve had my share of emotional breakdowns.”

“If you’re not doing anything,” Eddie offers, “do you want to go get a milkshake at Freese’s?”

Beverly stops and looks at him.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.” Eddie says. They giggle.

“Eddie, I’d love that.”

\---

The waiter puts two milkshakes on the table.

“Here you go,” he says, “one double chocolate and one old-fashioned vanilla.”

“Thank you.” Eddie and Beverly chorus at the same time. Beverly latches onto the chocolate and takes a big drink of it. Eddie grabs the vanilla and begins sipping on it.

“Eddie…” Beverly begins. “Can we make a vow?”

“Sure.” Eddie nods.

“That no matter what, no boy will ever come between us again. Deal?”

“Deal.” Eddie says.

The pair of friends clink their milkshakes together, sealing the pact in their minds.

The bell attached to the door jingles and Beverly’s eyes raise from Eddie. Seeing this, Eddie turns around to see what caught her attention. He sees Ben and Richie standing by the door, looking back at them. Eddie looks back at Beverly for a second, then turns back to the boys.

“Do you guys want to join us?” he asks softly. 

Richie moves first. 

“Yes, but only if you’re treating.” 

Eddie and Beverly laugh as he hops the booth and sits next to Beverly. 

“Beverly Marsh.” she says and holds out her hand.

“Richie. Tozier. The first.” he says and shakes her hand enthusiastically.

Ben slides in the booth next to Eddie and smiles at him.

“Richie Tozier the First.” Beverly says, considering. 

And to someone on the outside, peering in, it would’ve looked like there were four people in that booth. But, in Richie’s mind, really, there were only three. A brunette boy, a red headed girl, and the luckiest blond boy in the universe. For one shining moment, they were just kids. The bright neon lights of Freese’s keeping the darkness at bay. Giving way, as all nights must, to a morning of reckonings. 

When Richie walked into the office to talk to Keene, he stopped for a moment. And that’s all it took. In that moment, Keene and Hopper opened the door and walked out into the hallway of the school. They walked until they reached the Chemistry room, which contained Bill Denbrough. As soon as Keene and Hopper entered, Bill stood up. 

“You’re here for me, aren’t you?” Bill asked. “Because of the autopsy?”

“We don’t need to do this in front of your classmates, Bill.” Keene said.

“It’s all right, Principal Keene.” Bill said. His face is blank and he holds out his wrists to the authority figures. “They’ll find out soon enough.”

“Now, that won’t be necessary.” Hopper says, motioning to Bill’s wrists.

“Wait, Bill,” Beverly interjects. Bill turns around to look at her. “Find out what?”

Bill turns back to face the front of the room and there are tears in his blue eyes.

“That I’m guilty.”

As shocking as those three words were, they were nothing compared to the secrets that Georgie’s body had given up during its autopsy. That Georgie didn’t die on July 4th, as they believed, but over a week later.


	3. Body Double

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guilt, innocence. Good, evil. Life, death. As the shadows around Derry deepened, the lines that separated these polar opposites blurred and distorted. “I’m guilty,” Bill said in Biology class. But of what?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whooooooooooooo boy.   
> this is my favorite chapter i've written so far and it was a whirlwind. i'm still not over it. wow.  
> thank you all so much again for your support and comments. i really appreciate all of them.   
> sorry this is late, by the way, i'm just kind of terrible.  
> enjoy!

Guilt, innocence. Good, evil. Life, death. As the shadows around Derry deepened, the lines that separated these polar opposites blurred and distorted. “I’m guilty,” Bill said in Biology class. But of what?

“To clarify,” Bill says, eyes looking up quickly at the men who are standing menacingly in front of him, “I didn’t mean I was guilty of killing Georgie. I loved him more than I do myself.” He pauses and swallows, looking back at the floor of Keene’s office. “But I am guilty of lying about what happened on July 4th.”

“The autopsy puts his death about July 11th.” Jim Hopper says. “When was the last time you saw your brother?”

“It was July 4th.” Bill swallows. “I don’t know what happened the week after, but…”

“Bill, in your own words, what happened at the quarry?”

“The plan was bananas,” Bill starts, “even for me. Georgie wanted to leave Derry and never come back. He asked for my help to stage a tragic accident, so that people wouldn’t start looking for him. Our story would be, we went for a swim, and Georgie got stuck, and panicked, and drowned. In fact, we made it to the edge of the quarry, next to the woods, dry as bones. We said goodbye along the edge of the water and Georgie walked into the the trees. He promised he’d call me as soon as he was in a place where he couldn’t be reached or pulled back by anyone. One month, at the most.” Bill sighs, and looks at his hands which are clasped tightly in his lap. “Every day, I waited for him to call, for an email.”

Hopper shakes his head.

“You tell anyone about the plan? Anyway you can corroborate it? And you have no idea why your brother wanted to run away, fake his own death?” Bill has tears in his eyes. “Doesn’t that seem cruel?”

“No, he wasn’t,” Bill hisses and wipes away the single tear streaking down his pale face. “Georgie wasn’t cruel.”

“So maybe this is all just a web of lies you’re spinning to cover your own tracks.” Hopper continues.

“I didn’t kill Georgie!” Bill cries. He stops, composes himself and tries again. “There was a gunshot that morning. We heard a gunshot on July 4th. Maybe whoever killed Georgie took a shot at him, and missed that morning.”

Hopper looks appalled.

“You heard a gunshot, and you’re just telling us this now?”

“I was upset.” Bill says, looking to the side. “My brother was murdered.”

“So upset that you, you danced at a pep rally yesterday.” Hopper says, and he looks like he wants to keep talking, but the door to Keene’s office slams open and another voice overtakes his own.

“What the hell is going on in here?” Zack Denbrough says. Sharon Denbrough is trailing close behind. 

“Mom.” Bill says, looking at his mother with some gratitude as Sharon crosses the room and bends down to speak in his ear.

“Don’t say another word, Bill,” she whispers. Bill looks at his hands again. “Get up. Why didn’t you call us?”

The Denbroughs sweep out of Keene’s office. Zack Denbrough grabs Bill’s arm and pulls him roughly down the hallway.

“Because he’s a liar, Sharon.” Zack says, shaking his head.

“When we get home, you’re telling us everything.” The trio exits the front door of the school. Ben Hanscom, who is standing right next to it, quickly glances away as they leave. 

\---

A stack of newspapers is dropped onto Eddie’s bed by his extremely proud mother. The headline reads “Bill Denbrough, Guilty as Sin!”

“Hot off the presses!” says Sonia Kaspbrak, grinning wildly.

Eddie picks one up and scans it quickly. His mom begins to leave the room, pride still shining from every ounce of her overweight body when she’s stopped.

“Mom.” Eddie says, looking up at her. Sonia turns around to face him. “First, you leak Georgie Denbrough’s autopsy report, and now this?”

“People are loving the coverage.” Sonia insists. Her grin has faded slightly. 

“You have to stop sensationalizing this horrible thing.” Eddie pleads, standing up from his bed to look his mother in the eye.

“It’s news, Eddie. We own the Derry newspaper. We have a responsibility to keep the people informed.”

Eddie sighs at her and looks back at the paper in his hands.

“Whatever Bill did to me, he’s still a person.”

Sonia looks bewildered at her son.

“You reap what you sow.” she says, shaking her head.

“You should be writing about the real story.” Eddie insists. He gets more worked up as he speaks. “I mean, what happened to Georgie? Who was holding him captive? Why was he frozen? And who shot that gun on July 4th?”

“Well,” Sonia says indignantly “if you are so keen on reporting, why don’t you come work with me? The newspaper could really use a Lois Lane type like you.” She rips the paper out of Eddie’s hands and leaves his room.

\---

“I think I know something that can help with the Denbrough investigation.” Richie Tozier says. He is in an almost parallel situation as Bill had been that morning; he’s sat in a chair in Keene’s office while Jim Hopper and Principal Keene stare down at him, looking for any scrap of information that will come their way. Hopper motions for him to continue.

“People are saying that Bill heard a gunshot?” Richie asks tentatively.

“That’s what he’s claiming, yes.” Hopper says carefully.

“I heard it, too.” Keene and Hopper share a look. “I was there that morning. I didn’t say anything because at first, like everyone, I thought Georgie had drowned. But then when the autopsy came out and said he died later…”

“What were you doing down at the quarry so early on July 4th?”

Richie stumbles for a moment, but then picks back up on his story.

“Um, getting out of the house. I needed to clear my head. And I, uh… may have been smoking.”

Hopper doesn’t even bat an eye at this.

“Did you see who fired the shot?”

“No, sir.”

“Were you alone?”

Richie thinks for a second back to that morning. 

“No, sir.”

“Who were you with?” Hopper says, intrigued now.

“My dog,” Richie replies, raising his eyebrows at the sheriff as if to say ‘See what I care.’ “Buddy.”

\---

“So,” Beverly Marsh says, reclining in the chair in the student lounge of Derry High. “Are you are a suspect now?” She’s talking to Richie.

“My stepdad says we all are,” Will Byers interjects. He’s eating a Twizzler. “Including me.”

“Not me, girl.” Beverly says, smiling a bit. “I don’t know these people.”

“Guys,” Will says suddenly, looking at Beverly, then Richie, then Eddie, and then Ben. “Should we maybe re-binge Making a Murderer on Netflix tonight?”

Eddie laughs.

“Sorry. Can’t. Gotta stay late to work on the paper.” Eddie grabs a chip from the bag on the table in front of them.

“Count me out, too.” Beverly says, flashing her new friends a coy smile. “I’ve got a date tonight.”

“You do?” Ben says, sitting forward on the couch a bit.

“Which Derry hottie made the cut?” asks Will.

Beverly tilts her head at him and a voice interrupts their conversation.

“Hey,” Tom Rogan says, stepping in from the doorway of the lounge “Bevvie. I’ll swing by your house to pick you up at 8?”

“I’ll be waiting.” Beverly replies. She’s calmed her grin down to a smirk.

Tom swings the jacket he’s holding on to his broad shoulders and smirks right back at her.

“Cool.”

He leaves, a group of football players following him closely. Beverly sweeps a piece of hair out of her eyes and lets her grin take over again.

“Tom Rogan?” Eddie asks at the same time as Will says, “You’re going on a date with Tom?”

“Good for you, Bev. You need to get out there and find you a man!” Richie says enthusiastically. He shoves a handful of chips in his mouth.

“He’s kind of a player.” Eddie says, looking at Richie with disgust. Will, meanwhile, is befuddled at Eddie’s words.

“Who cares? He’s the hottest of hot, and he’s the varsity football coach’s son. In Derry, that’s like dating a Kennedy.”

Beverly keeps smiling while Ben is trying not to look too dejected in the corner.

\---

“If print journalism is dead,” Richie Tozier says, standing in the entrance of the school’s old computer lab. Eddie Kaspbrak is standing in the center of the room and a typewriter is on the table next to him. “Then what am I doing here?”

“The Orange and Black isn’t dead, Richie.” Eddie says, exasperatedly but smiling the whole time. “It’s just dormant.” He brushes some dust off of the table. “But waking up.”

Richie has entered the room now and is fiddling with some of the books on the shelves of the room.

“You’re writing a novel, right?” Eddie asks. “About Georgie Denbrough’s murder?”

Richie pauses and looks up at Eddie.

“I am.” He holds up a magnifying glass that was lying around to Eddie’s face. Eddie scoffs good-heartedly at him. “Derry’s very own In Cold Blood.”

“Which started out as a series of articles.” Eddie points out. He puts a hand on top of a computer and looks at Richie pleadingly. “I’m hoping you’ll come write for the Orange and Black.”

“I just don’t think the school paper’s the right fit for my voice, Eds.” 

“Richie…” Eddie sighs and pushes away from the table. He slowly walks his way over to Richie. “Georgie’s death changed Derry. People don’t want to admit that, but it’s true. We all feel it.” Eddie is pretty much begging with his eyes at this point. Richie is starting to crack. “Nothing this bad was ever supposed to happen here, but it did. I want to know why.”

There is very little resistance in the taller boy’s voice now.

“Would I get complete freedom?”

“I’ll help, and edit…” Eddie says, blinking up at Richie with eyes possibly a little wider than necessary. “And suggest. But it’s your story. It’s your voice.”

Richie laughs.

“That doesn’t sound like complete freedom, cutie, but I’m in.”

Eddie grins widely in relief and clasps his hands to his chest, bouncing up and down on his feet a little.

“Okay, great! Um, in that case, I have your first assignment.” Eddie’s voice and face become serious again. “There’s one person who was at the quarry on July 4th that no one’s talking about.”

“Stan Uris and his Scouts.” Richie finishes. 

“Exactly.”

Richie starts to leave, but he’s interrupted.

“Oh, and one more thing, Rich.” Richie turns around to face Eddie, who’s standing with his hands on his hips. “Don’t call me cutie.”

Richie simply winks and steps out the door.

\---

“Okay, okay,” Tom Rogan says, laughing a bit. Beverly is laughing with him. “Let me try again, let me try again!”

“No.. Let me see it.” Beverly says reaching for his phone. 

“You don’t trust me?” Tom asks.

“No, no, no. Fine, you can take it.” Tom smiles and holds up his phone to snap a picture of he and Beverly. They are sitting in the front of his car outside of Freese’s. The only lights that illuminate their faces are the red neon lights of the diner’s sign. 

“Okay. Let me see.” Beverly actually grabs the phone now. “Photo approval.”

As she looks, Tom stares at her with an awestruck look, almost as if he can’t believe he’s on a date with someone this beautiful. Yet, at the same time, there is some hunger in his gaze, like she’s his prey and he’s just waiting for the perfect opportunity to pounce. Beverly looks up at him and smiles coyly.

“Fine.” she whispers. The pair look away from each other and laugh. Beverly returns his phone to him. Tom brings his eyes back to her face.

“You are… different than what I thought you’d be.” Tom admits. “A former It Girl from New York, made off like fall from grace?” Beverly’s no longer smiling at him; she is simply looking at him. “I assumed you’d be high maintenance.” She rolls her eyes and a small smirk takes over her face again. Tom turns so he’s directly parallel to her body. “Tell me, what do you miss most about home?”

“Only everything.” Beverly gets a faraway look in her eye. “I forgot how exhausting it is to be the new kid.”

“Try being the new kid whose dad is also the new teacher. And the new coach.”

“Well, from an outsider’s point of view, you’ve not only proven yourself, but you’ve raised the bar for everyone around you. Varsity football, Dean’s List.” Beverly pauses and leans in a little closer. “Ivy League aspirations.” Tom raises his eyebrows at her questioningly. “Oh, yes, you’ve been vetted, handsome. Beverly Marsh is nothing if not an informed consumer.” Her eyes drop to his lips for a second. The hungry look is back in his eyes. 

“I’m gonna have my hands full with you, huh?” He asks in a low voice.

“I’m betting you can handle it.” She whispers with a straight face. 

Tom leans in and lets their lips connect. All Beverly can think is “Thank God.”

\---

“So,” Will Byers says to Beverly the next day. Will and Eddie are walking up to Beverly’s locker. “How’d it go with Tom?”

Beverly laughs.

“Tom has muscles for days, but his conversation is not the stuff of Oscar Wilde, or even Diablo Cody.” She shuts her locker.

“Hey, Beverly,” a random girl walking by says, “How was the Sticky Maple you had last night?”

“The what not?” Beverly asks, uninterested.

“The Sticky Maple Tom gave you? How was it?” The girl walks out of view.

“We had a brownie sundae, if that’s what you hyenas mean.” Beverly starts to open her locker again.

Will’s phone buzzes.

“Oh my God.” Will says. Eddie looks at his phone and his mouth drops open. 

“What?” Beverly asks, starting to look a little more scared now. She grabs Will’s phone away from him, only to see Tom Rogan’s latest Instagram post. It’s the selfie they took the night before and there’s an edit over top of Beverly’s face to look like there’s maple syrup running down her face and shoulders.

“What the hell is a Sticky Maple?” Beverly asks, vengeance in her voice.

The sound of phones buzzing fills the hallway.

“It’s kind of what it sounds like.” Will says. “It’s a Derry thing.”

“No, Will.” Beverly says. “It’s a slut-shaming thing.” Eddie can see what looks like the start of tears in her eyes, but Beverly quickly looks back down at the picture. “And I’m neither a slut, nor am I going to be shamed by someone named, excuse me, Tom Rogan. Does he really think he can get away with this? Does he not know who I am?” There is fire blazing in her green eyes. “I will cut the brakes on his souped-up phallic symbol.”

“Or,” Eddie says, trying to interject. “We can go to Principal Keene.”

“About the coach’s son?” Beverly asks him. “Who is captain of the football team, and Derry High’s resident golden boy?”

“I can expose him in the pages of the Orange and Black!” Eddie is desperately attempting to make peace. “Yeah, I can do that!”

“No. Spoken like a true good boy who always follows the rules.” Beverly shoves the phone back into Will’s hands. The strength in which she does this pushes him against the lockers. Beverly starts to march down the hallway towards the boy’s locker room. “Well, I don’t follow the rules, I make them, and when necessary, I break them.” Eddie starts to chase after her. “You want to help me get revenge on Tom, Eddie, awesome. But you better be willing to go full dark, no stars. What do you say, in or out?” 

Eddie hesitates quickly, then follows her. 

\---

Beverly bursts into the locker room, which is currently full. 

“Move.” she says to the boy standing in her path. He quickly gets out of the way. “Excuse me.” Beverly pushes several shirtless guys to get through the crowd. In her rampage, she runs straight into Ben, who is only wearing a towel around his waist. Her pushing causes the towel to come loose and you can see the distinct v-line of his hips before Ben catches the towel and holds it like a lifeline. He looks up and turns bright red when he sees Beverly. 

“Beverly?” Ben asks. He spots Eddie behind her. “Eddie, what are you guys doing here?”

Eddie looks slightly horrified and Beverly shoves a few strands of hair that have come loose of her ponytail out of her face.

“Don’t worry about it.” Ben starts to try and block her from going any further, but she shoves him slightly harder than necessary. “I mean it, Hanscom. Hit the showers and stay out of my way.”

Eddie follows her, but is attempting to shield his eyes the entire time. When Beverly sees Tom, she clears her throat and he turns. His smirk is distinct and ghastly.

“Huh, B and E.” Tom says. He’s also wearing only a towel. “Menage a right on, ladies.” The boys behind him laugh at his kick at Eddie’s masculinity.

“This,” Beverly holds up her phone to Tom’s face. Her phone is open to the picture. “is disgusting. Take it down.”

“Whoa, whoa.” Tom says, holding up his hands. “Why you so wound up? It’s a badge of honor, and you’re not exactly virgin territory after your closet date with Hanscom.” Beverly rolls her eyes, though looking slightly hurt.

“Okay,” Eddie steps forward, “that’s beyond irrelevant, Tom. You’re not allowed to go around humiliating girls, for any reason, under any circumstance, you jerk.”

“Look, I get you’re not a closet kind of guy, but hey, if you want to ride that wagon, it can be arranged.”

Beverly scoffs.

“Let’s keep this simple so that your preppy-murderer-half-brain can grasp it.” She steps closer to Tom. “Take. This. The hell. Down.”

Tom chuckles, but his smile falls. He leans in. 

“Okay, that high-tone bitch attitude may have worked on the betas you dated in New York, but you’re in Tiger territory.” A boy who is standing behind him growls at Beverly and soon the locker room is filled with growls. “But please, fight back.” He looks her up and down one more time, then starts to move away. Tom stops, though, and says, “You only make it harder on yourself.”

Tom walks away now, shouldering past Eddie on his way out. Beverly is steaming. 

\---

Richie Tozier has a different experience that afternoon.

“And in that moment of hesitation,” Stanley Uris says to a group of 7 boys who seem like they’re trying to look brave, but are failing miserably, “you’re dead. All of you are dead.”

“At ease, Uris.” Richie says in surprise. Stan’s eyes widen, and then quickly narrow. “I’m writing an article for the Orange and Black . Hoping you can help.”

Stan stares him down. 

“Dismissed!” He calls over his shoulder. “But stay close.” The boys scatter.

“Bill and Ben both say they heard a gunshot the morning of July 4th, but they don’t know who fired.”

“Sheriff Hopper already asked me about this. And like I told him,” Stan’s posture is rigid, “my scouts and I, we didn’t hear anything weird.”

Richie nods. He steps a little closer and Stan immediately takes a step away.

“Well, did you see anything weird?” His tone is more serious than Stan has ever heard from him. Stan sighs.

“Uh, a white-winged crossbill. A long-eared owl.” Richie sees out of the corner of his eye Dorsey Corcoran watching the pair speak, but the boy quickly looks away. Stan thinks for a second and when he speaks again, his voice is poisonous. “Oh. And Bill, sitting on the shore, soaking wet.”

\---

Richie’s day gets even more turned around in Chemistry when Bill whispers to him,

“Psst. Richie.” Richie turns to face Bill, who is sitting a few desks back from him. “Thanks to you, I’m not the boy who cried gunshot. You believed me when not even my parents did.”

“I just told the truth, Billy.” Richie whispers back hesitantly.

“Which is why I want to repay your kindness.” Bill says, eyes brightening. 

“Bill, truly, that’s not why I came forward.”

Bill takes in a breath and beams.

“Save the “aw shucks” for Eddie. I’m granting you one wish, Richie. Nothing is off the table.” Bill pauses and thinks for a second. He cocks his head. “Except for my body.” Richie rolls his eyes. Bill continues, “Georgie would want you to be rewarded.”

Richie starts to sigh, but something comes to his mind.

“Actually, there is one thing.”

\---

Ben is flabbergasted when Richie whispers to him in the hallway about what he’s done. He goes anyway. They have agreed to meet in the student lounge and Ben’s sitting, writing, when Audra Phillips walks in, as flamboyant as ever.

“Hey, Audra.” Ben says, a little unsure.

“I love my boy Bill, so I am doing him this solid. He said that Richie wanted you to get help with you writing since, for some reason, Miss Ripsom isn’t an option.” Ben nods and Audra moves to sit down next to him. “The Pussycats are playing my mom’s event, The Taste of Derry, and we are rehearsing every night this week. Come. Observe.” She holds a finger up to her lips. “Learn.”

Audra leaves and Ben wonders to himself what he did to deserve a friend like Richie.

\---

Beverly’s sitting at the kitchen table in her aunt’s house scrolling through the comments of Tom’s post. She is horrified at what she finds. The worst ones hit her like a ton of bricks.

“OMG. U gotta go B. Stop giving us a bad rap. #girlpower #stickymaple #BYE”

“Wow fam, how ratchet is New Girl?”

“Who ordered the nasty girl? Not me.”

One from Bill even says,

“I usually pity the poor, but…”

Tom himself wrote,

“Can we vote this hot jalopy off the island already?????

As Beverly keeps reading the comments, her eyes fill with tears. This slut-shaming is too much like her father’s.

“Go back to New York, you nasty doe.”

“Justice 4 Beverly Marsh! … Said no one ever.”

The class president, Eddie Corcoran commented,

“As class president, I don’t condone or support any of these comments. However… WOW. Just… WOW.”

“Girrrrll… GET! IT! TOGETHER!”

“No gracias.”

“Wait actually - I’d still go 4 it. Don’t mind sloppies.”

The comments seem never ending. The tears are sliding down Beverly’s pale face now.

“Hey,” Katherine says, entering the kitchen. Beverly wipes the tears off her face quickly and turns off her phone. “I’ve been meaning to ask. How was your date last night? I like the looks of that boy.”

Beverly sniffles, but puts up a hard exterior once more.

“The more handsome on the outside, the more rotten on the inside.” Katherine looks at her questioningly.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Katherine asks, taking a seat at the table.

“Nothing, just that he’s not really my type.”

Beverly’s phone buzzes and she quickly picks it up. She’s willing to do anything to avoid more questions from her aunt. She sees that Eddie’s calling.

“This is Eddie.” Beverly says, gesturing to her phone. “Can I take it?”

“Yeah.” Katherine says, still looking at her, trying to figure out what happened.

Beverly walks out of the kitchen and answers the phone. 

“Hello?”

\---

The click of Beverly’s heels are distinct as she walks down the hall of the school and into the student lounge. She is faced with a group of 7 girls and Eddie. In the center of the girls is one red-headed girl who catches Beverly’s eye, not only because of her resemblance to Beverly, but the terrified look in her eye. 

“This story is bigger than we thought.” Eddie says. Beverly cocks her head at him. “I started asking around to see if what happened to you happened to anyone else, and if anyone would go one record.”

“I will.” The red-headed girl says. She turns to face Eddie. “100%.”

“Okay.” Eddie replies to her, nodding his head encouragingly. He turns back to face Beverly and throws up his hands, clearly furious. “It’s 5 guys on the football team. Tom and his posse. Max,” he gestures to the red-headed girl who now has a name, “was just about to tell us…”

Max sighs.

“One day last year, Tom and I talked in the library for 10 minutes. I helped him with a Pre-Calc problem and nothing happened.” She’s starting to tear up. Eddie is taking notes behind her. “But the next day, he… He started telling people that I let him do stuff to me. Like, sex stuff.” Beverly nods her head in solidarity. “And then he… Or one of his goons wrote “Sloppy seconds” on my locker.”

“Yes, yes,” Bill Denbrough says, putting a hand on the doorframe, “we’ve all heard your tragic origin story.”

“I’m so, so sorry, Max. That’s horrible.” Eddie whispers and puts a hand on her shoulder.

“Not as horrible as being a suspect in your own brother’s torture-murder case, but we all have our crosses.” Bill says, venom in his eyes. “In the meantime, cheerleading practice starts in 5 minutes,” he gestures to the group of girls, some of whom are clad in the Derry cheerleader practicing clothes, “sluts, so…”

“They’re ruining our lives,” Max interrupts, looking Bill in the eyes, “and to them, it’s just a game. They keep score…”

“Wait,” Beverly says, turning to face Max, “what do you mean, keep score?”

“Each conquest earns them points. They keep track in some secret playbook.”

Beverly laughs purely out of anger.

“Okay,” Eddie says, “We have to talk to Keene.”

Max shrugs.

“I already tried. Keene said that he didn’t find anything.”

“Okay,” Eddie is getting increasingly worked up, “we need undeniable proof.”

“Proof of what, Nancy Drew?” Bill asks, crossing his arms. “That boys will be boys?” He looks at Max. “And that playbook reeks of suburban legend.”

“How would you know, Bill?” Beverly says impatiently.

“Because, Frida Shallow, before he died, my brother was friends with Tom, and Georgie never mentioned it, and he never would have allowed it.”

“Okay, well,” Beverly turns to face Bill, “I never met your brother, but I’m not lying about what happened to me.” She turns to face the girls. “And Max is not lying. And proof or no proof, book or no book,” Beverly steps closer to Bill, “I am going scorched earth on these privileged, despicable miscreants. You wanna get caught in the backdraft, Bill?” Bill stumbles back from her. “Call me,” she gestures to the girls, “or any of these beautiful, young, strong, intelligent women… “slut” one. More. Time.”

\---

At Freese’s that night, Dorsey Corcoran and his father are having dinner.

“Hey, I’m going to go take care of the bill, alright?” Dorsey’s father says. He nods. “Save me some.”

Dorsey starts to eat some of the brownie sundae that’s in front of him, but before he even gets one bites in, long fingers are plucking the cherry off of the top. Richie Tozier pops the cherry in his mouth and sits down across the booth from Dorsey.

“What the heck, man?” Dorsey asks, putting his hands up. He’s still wearing his Boy Scout uniform.

“I saw the way you looked at me.” Richie says. “During Grizzly training.” He steals a spoon from the table, points it at Dorsey, and then uses it to take a decent chunk out of the ice cream and brownie in the bowl. “You’re hiding something.”

“It’s Scoutmaster Uris.” Dorsey whispers. “He’s lying.”

“About what?” Richie asks. He takes another bite.

“The gunshot. It was him. He was teaching us how to shoot targets.”

Richie looks at Dorsey in awe.

“Stanley Uris shot the gun on July 4th?”

“He’s a hardcore survivalist.” Dorsey says, leaning forward. “He says if we don’t protect ourselves, no one will.”

Richie shakes his head in shock.

\---

That night at the Pussycat’s rehearsal, Ben feels like he’s gotten the opportunity of a lifetime.

“Myra’s our technique queen.” Patty gushes. Ben smiles at her.

“And you’re the songwriter?” Patty nods. “I would love to…”

The door to the room opens and Audra walks in.

“Love to what?” she asks. Her face is empty. Patty looks down. “That’s the real question. What exactly you expect to get out of this experience.”

Ben sighs.

“Short version: I just want to see how you guys approach writing, maybe help you with some songs.”

Audra laughs.

“So,” she says, walking up to Ben and wringing her hands, “you feel qualified to write songs for the Pussycats?”

Ben’s mouth opens a little, but timidly he says, “Yeah.”

“For female divas who are always overlooked?”

“No.” Ben says, already trying to backtrack.

“Look,” Audra says, cocking her hip out, “this isn’t LA or New York, this is Derry, and people’s minds are opening up, but do you have any idea how much hate mail my mom got when she was elected mayor?”

“I campaigned for your mom, I get it.” Ben says. He’s very flustered.

“No, no, no, baby. You don’t. I mean, do you know why we’re called the Pussycats? Because we have claw our way into the same room that you can just waltz into. So, if you think that you can write my experience… “

“Audra…” Patty starts.

“No, it’s okay, Patty.” Ben interjects. “She’s right.”

“Good.” Audra smiles slightly and nods at him. 

\---

Eddie hears knocking on the door to the computer lab. He’s looking over his notes from earlier, but he looks up to see Max and another boy standing in the doorway.

“Max, hi.”

“Eddie, you know Trevor Blum, right? Patty’s brother?”

“Hey, what’s up?” Trevor says, waving at Eddie a little. Max and Trevor make their way into the room.

“Hey.” Eddie replies.

“He used to be on the football team.” Max says. 

“But I quit.” Trevor’s a little hesitant. “When I saw Tom’s playbook. And I may know where it is.”

Eddie nods and smiles a bit.

\---

“Football players behaving badly, what else is new? Steubenville, Glen Ridge. The coach’s son being the ringleader? I mean, how depraved is this town?” Beverly complains. Will, Eddie, Beverly, and Max are walking down the halls of Derry High, clad with flashlights. It’s well past dark in Derry at this time.

“Color me impressed.” Bill Denbrough voice scares all of them and they collectively gasp and whip around. 

“A B and E with B and E. What would your holy roller mother say about this, Eddie?”

“What are you doing here, Bill?” Eddie asks Bill. Bill’s wearing a leather jacket that catches all of their eyes.

“And where did you get that jacket? It’s amazing.” Will whispers.

“Trevor told Patty, who told Audra, who told me. And I thought I would help out.”

“Help?” Eddie says, skeptically. “Or derail our investigation?”

Bill shines his flashlight in Eddie’s face.

“Get over yourself, Eddie.”

“Hey, guys,” Max says from inside the locker room. “Get in here.” They all hurry to join her. She’s holding a notebook. When everyone joins here, she flips it open to reveal columns and columns of names and numbers. “Trevor was right. They didn’t even bother to hide it.” Bill shines his flashlight on the notebook. 

Beverly’s name is the latest on the list. By her name is the phrase ‘New girl (+1)’.

“New girl?” she asks, disgust written all over her face. “Is that what I’m reduced to? Nine points?”

“Better than ‘fiery girl’.” Max says, biting her lip. The dig at her hair color, which is a bright red, doesn’t fly over her head. “7.5.”

“Georgie’s got people in this book.” Eddie says, shocked. A girl named Chelsea is the first name he spots. 

“What?” Bill says, leaning in to get a closer look. He spots it and immediately loses his spark of happiness. Bill steps away and turns off his flashlight. Eddie and Beverly share a look.

“I’m so sorry, Bill.” Beverly says.

“This isn’t… Georgie would never -” Bill starts.

“It’s right there, Bill!” Eddie exclaims. “God, your brother was involved in this. This is what guys like Tom and Georgie think about women. They’re objects for them to abuse. And when they’re done with them, they shame them into silence. They have zero remorse for the lives they destroy.”

“Maybe I don’t know Georgie.” Bill says, looking back at the notebook. 

“I’ll take a picture.” Beverly says, pulling out her phone and snapping one. This defuses some tension. “We’ll show it to Keene. It’ll be the perfect cover for your expose, Eddie.”

“Yeah,” Eddie says, turning off his flashlight like Bill. The faint lines of his face can be seen by the moonlight coming in through the windows of the room. “But… no. These girls deserve justice, don’t you think, Bill? You want vengeance?” He steps closer to Beverly as she nods. His eyes look black in the darkness. “You wanna go full dark, no stars, Beverly? I’m with you. And I have a plan.”

Beverly smiles.

\---

“Pats, you are such a poet, but these lyrics, they don’t make sense.” Audra says, leaning over the table which is covered in papers. “What’s the hook? I mean, I need a line that catches.”

“I hear that.” Patty says. Ben starts to lean forward in his chair.

“This… line.” Audra continues, picking up a notebook with their song on it and pacing.

“I’ve been struggling.” Patty says quietly.

“What about ‘paintings in the wind’?” Myra suggests.

“How about,” Ben says, shocking the 3 girls. They’d almost forgotten he was there. “‘Paintings on her skin’?”

“I kinda dig that.” Patty admits, twirling a pencil with her fingers. She turns to Audra for confirmation. Audra sets down the notebook and clears her throat.

“All right. Let’s, uh, take it from the top.” She looks at Ben. “One, two, one, two, three.”

Paintings on her skin   
Colors in her hair  
Come around the corner  
Make you stop and stare  
She don’t pay no mind  
Cause she don’t really care  
What you think about her  
Think about her

I don’t care what you want me to be  
Cause it ain’t for you, no it’s all for me

Ben beams and laughs.

“That was… That was so good.”

“What else you got?” Audra asks, her tone reluctant, but her smile says the opposite.

“Uh, I was thinking maybe we could invert the second and third verses.”

\---

After getting the call, Nancy Wheeler is sitting at the vanity in her room. She loves Eddie, and that’s why she’s willing to cooperate, but she’s somewhat terrified at what the outcome will be. Nancy picks up the red lipstick that Beverly had dropped off earlier and begins to apply it. As she’s doing so, Karen Wheeler walks into the room and is immediately horrified. The brightness of the color is not what she has come to associate with her daughter.

“Seduce Scarlet doesn’t suit you, dear.” Karen says. 

“It’s Beverly’s.” Nancy says, tilting her chin up and looking in the mirror. “I’m borrowing it.”

“Beverly is not the guide for what you should be doing. I don’t want you to make her mistakes.” Karen says. She’s knows nothing about Beverly, but she’s heard the rumors.

“Well, I like it.” Nancy replies. She hasn’t made eye contact with her mother since she entered the room. “It makes me feel… powerful.”

Karen doesn’t respond. She plucks a makeup wipe from the pack on the vanity and comes around behind Nancy. Karen puts both hands on Nancy’s shoulders and looks at her for a second. 

“You coming with us to the mayor’s shindig?” Karen asks. 

“No.” Nancy says. “I’m going over to Beverly’s to study for a test.”

Karen scrubs the lipstick off of Nancy’s face haphazardly. Traces of it still remain on her chin.

“I don’t want you associating with a girl like that.” She throws the wipe in Nancy’s trash can.

“A bad girl, you mean?” Nancy asks, looking her mother in the eye through the mirror. “Get used to it, mom.”

Karen bends down and puts her head on Nancy’s shoulder. She picks up another lipstick that’s sitting on the vanity.

“Here.” Karen says, placing it in Nancy’s hands. “Pink Perfection. It’s more you.”

Karen leaves.

\---

That night, Tom Rogan is sitting in a booth at Freese’s. He hardly expects Nancy Wheeler, Derry High’s known “good girl” to come in this late at night. He’s even more surprised when he sees the shortness of the skirt she’s wearing, the bare stomach that’s peeking out in the space between her skirt and shirt, the low neckline of her shirt, and the red lipstick that she’s wearing. This is all very out of character. Nancy turns her head from side to side and when she sees him, she walks straight over. The confidence in which she does this is another surprise.

“Hi, Tom.” Nancy says. He looks at her with a decent amount of surprise. He knows she’s friends with Eddie, who’s friends with Beverly, and Tom thinks that she must know about the alleged Sticky Maple. “Can I sit?” Nancy asks. Her tone is very soft.

“Not if you want to discuss Beverly.” Tom says. He takes a bite out of his burger.

Nancy sits anyway.

“Only insofar as… I’ve been thinking lately. How I want to be more… like her.”

Tom looks at her questioningly.

“Wait, you want to be a bad girl?”

“Maybe.” Nancy whispers.

“Like Beverly is?” Nancy’s confidence wavers for a second and Tom latches onto that. “Oh, yeah, I can help you with that. I helped a lot of girls like you. You know, prissy prude by day, freak in the sheets by night. Bad girls have more fun, right?”

Nancy is incredibly angry as of that moment, but she holds back.

“Yeah.” she says, slightly harshly. She leans forward. “Maybe you can show me.”

Tom’s eyes fall to the neckline of her shirt and then back up to Nancy’s face. He swallows.

“Yes. Yes, I… I can do that. Um… When?”

“Tomorrow night.” Nancy replies. She’s smirking at him flirtatiously.

“Uh, your place or mine?”

“Max’s.” Nancy says.

Tom looks at her, puzzled.

“She and her parents will be out. She’ll leave us a key.”

He cocks his head at her.

“We’re friends.” Nancy explains. “And she has a pool… And a hot tub.”

Tom raises his eyebrows.

“I’ll be there.” he says. “Definitely. Um. Hey, and don’t worry. I’ll be gentle.”

Nancy smiles at him.

“Can’t wait.” 

She gets up and leaves the diner.

\---

The next night, Tom stands awkwardly outside what seems like a plain gray wall. He can hear the music playing inside, so he knows Nancy or somebody is in there, but no one has come out to greet him since he knocked. Tom knocks again. The door slides open and there stands the one and only Beverly Marsh. She’s wearing a plain black swimsuit and there’s a towel slung over her shoulders. Her red hair is perfectly mussed.

“You’re not Nancy.” Tom says, looking her up and down.

“Nancy talked to me and we decided to not fight about boys and start learning to share.” Beverly walks away from the door, beckoning Tom inside. He licks his lips and walks inside. Beverly slides the door closed again. 

“Nice.” Tom says, looking around. There is a medium sized pool and a hot tub that is already running. The only light is from the pool and the moon

“Isn’t it?” Beverly asks, sliding the towel off her shoulders. Her creamy white skin is nearly translucent in the moonlight. “It gets very, very hot.” As she walks to sit next to the hot tub, Beverly looks back at Tom. 

Tom, seeing her glance, goes to follow her quickly.

“Come on.” Beverly says, sliding into the water. “Let’s get wet.”

“Uh, shouldn’t we wait for Nancy to get here first?” Tom asks.

As he says this, the door to the house opens and, almost on cue, Nancy Wheeler steps out. However, she’s not the Nancy Wheeler everyone thinks they seem to know. Clad in a straight black wig, Nancy is now the bad girl that Tom seemed to think she could be. She’s wearing only a black lacy bra and a black skirt. The red lipstick wiped off by Karen has been reapplied and she is stunning. Both Tom’s and Beverly’s mouths drop open when they see her. Nancy walks up to the edge of the hot tub.

“Nancy couldn’t make it.” she says. “So she sent me instead.”

\---

“Welcome all to the first annual Taste of Derry.” Mayor Phillips says, clinking a glass. “As a lead-up to our 75th anniversary jubilee, this event proves that Derry truly is a town that, when tragedy knocks us down, we get right back up!”

The audience applauds. 

“Bon appetit!” 

The mayor immediately goes off the stage to the Denbroughs, who had been openly glaring during her speech.

“Sharon. Zack. How are you holding up?”

“How do you think?” Sharon says coldly. Zack Denbrough takes a drink behind her. “My son is dead, and neither of you,” she gestures to Sheriff Hopper who saw Mayor Phillips coming and followed, “have done anything to catch his killer, except, of course, harass my other son.”

“Sharon Denbrough.” Sonia Kaspbrak says, walking up to the group of unhappy adults. “I thought I might run into you.” The look that Sharon is giving is enough to make almost anyone run away screaming, but Sonia Kaspbrak isn’t just anyone. “Would you like to give a quote regarding the -” 

Sonia is cut off by the cold hand of Sharon Denbrough coming down on her face. The slap is hard enough that Sonia, who is not a small woman, is knocked backwards.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.” Sheriff Hopper says, shoving himself between the two women. “All right.”

“How dare you, Sonia Kaspbrak! Printing my son’s autopsy.” Zack Denbrough is pulling Sharon away from going after Sonia again. Sharon bursts into tears. “He was tortured and shot, and thrown in the quarry like a piece of garbage.” The words are barely coming out from how hard she is crying and Zack Denbrough is trying to calm her down.

“Uh, hey, Derry.” Audra Phillips says into the microphone, seeing the commotion. “We are Audra and the Pussycats. Are you ready to rock?”

The song that they worked on with Ben begins again.

Paintings on her skin   
Colors in her hair  
Come around the corner  
Make you stop and stare  
She don’t pay no mind  
Cause she don’t really care  
What you think about her  
Think about her

I don’t care what you want me to be  
Cause it ain’t for you, no it’s all for me

As the song is playing, Ben is sitting in the wings of the auditorium this event is happening in, listening to a song he helped write. The last person he expects to come sit down next to him arrives. It’s Richie.

“Are you sure it was worth coming to this for some locally-sourced Munster?” Ben asks Richie. Richie slides down next to him. He’s wearing his usual dark gray beanie, but he’s also wearing his glasses today, which are thick and clunky. The sight of them makes Ben immediately nostalgic. Richie doesn’t say anything. Ben tries again.

“Hey, I helped write this song, man.” Ben nudges his arm.

Richie turns to look at the girls dancing on the stage and raises his eyebrows.

“Not bad, Benny.” They turn and smile at each other. “Hey, I’d love to stay, but I was just checking in here. I’ve got to track down an evil Adventure Scout. See ya.” 

Richie stands and leaves, patting Ben on the shoulder.

Down below, Sonia Kaspbrak is antagonizing more innocents.

“Katherine.” Sonia says, walking up to Beverly’s aunt.

“Sonia.” Katherine says in a rigid tone. 

“How’s Beverly?” Sonia asks, tilting her head.

Katherine looks at her questioningly.

“Oh.” Sonia says, covering her mouth. “You don’t even know, do you? The things they’re saying about your niece at school?”

“What things?” Katherine breaks.

“Slut-shaming.” Sonia replies frankly. She looks at Katherine with all kinds of disgust. “That’s what they call it when sluts get shamed.”

Katherine grabs her phone from her purse to start texting Beverly, but Sonia drives the knife deeper.

“You know, you really have to keep an eye on girls like Beverly.” Katherine starts to walk away to call her niece, but Sonia keeps talking. “They so easily can get out of control.”

\---

Nancy drops a small object into the glass.

“What is that?” Beverly asks, looking over her shoulder.

“Muscle relaxer.” Nancy replies with ease. “Mix it with booze and it lowers your inhibitions. Hello, truth serum.”

“Maybe we should slow it down a little?” Beverly says, looking at her friend with concern. 

“It’s fine.” Nancy grits her teeth, then forces herself to smile. She turns around. “Right, Tom?”

Tom is laying in the hot tub with his head back. When he hears Nancy’s voice, he leans his head slowly back up. 

“You don’t want to slow down, do you?” Nancy says, bringing the drink over to him.

“Oh, I’m 2 Fast 2 Furious, baby.” Tom says, smirk taking over his face.

“Good.” Nancy pauses. “Good boy, Tom.”

\---

Richie walks down the steps in the lobby of the building. At the bottom, Stan Uris is waiting for him.

“Hello, Stan.” Richie says. Stan’s not making eye contact. Richie leans in closer. “I talked to one of your scouts. I know you fired the gun.” Stan looks up at him. “Which makes you both a liar, and a public menace.”

Stan turns to face him, fear plain in his eyes.

“So what if I did? I was doing the Adventure Scouts a favor. Somebody has to teach them how to stand their ground. The way this town is going…”

“Save it for your statement.” Richie shrugs at him. “Which you can make to Sheriff Hopper, or to me. I suggest the latter.”

Stan’s silent.

“Orange and Black offices. Tomorrow.”

Richie walks away from Stan quickly.

\---

When Tom wakes up, his hands are confined. He pulls at them, but soon realizes they are in handcuffs. The water of the hot tub is boiling up around him.

“What? What the hell?”

“Start recording.” Nancy tells Beverly. Beverly hesitantly holds up the phone and presses Record.

“Hey, guys. It’s really hot in here.” Tom pulls at the handcuffs again.

“And getting hotter by the minute.” Nancy says. “Time to squeal, pig. Tell the truth about what happened between you and Beverly.”

“We had a good time. She had a good time.” Tom says questioningly.

“The truth, Tom, or so help me, I will boil you alive.” Nancy is losing all grip on herself. Nancy Wheeler has been temporarily taken over by the black pit deep inside of her. Her anger is in control and she will not stop for anyone. 

“What?” Tom says, shaking his head. “We made out.”

“And then?”

“And then I took her home! And I didn’t give her a Sticky Maple.”

“That is all you had to say, you ass.” Beverly says viciously. “And now, everyone will know.” She ends the video.

Nancy, however, is nowhere close to done. All the slut-shaming that has been put on her is the past is all boiling up and Nancy is ready to explode. She puts a heeled foot on top of Tom’s head and starts to push him under the water.

“You like shaming people, Tom?”

“Whoa, hey…” 

As this is all happening, Max is watching from the shadows. The revenge is incredible to her.

“You like dehumanizing them?” Nancy continues. “Prissy prude by day, freak in the sheets by night?”

“No!” Tom cries.

“Apologize.” she demands.

“Calm down.” Beverly says, watching in horror.

“Say you’re sorry!” Nancy yells.

“Okay! Okay, I’m sorry! I’m sorry for all of it!”

“Good job, pig.” Nancy says, taking her foot off of Tom’s head. “Now, time for your reward.” 

All that can be heard besides the bubbling of the hot tub is the sound of a lid being popped open.

“A Sticky Maple of your own.” Nancy says, and pours the syrup all over Tom’s head.

“Wait, what? What??”

“Apologize for ruining me.” Nancy demands. She can no longer tell the difference between him and the idiots that created Nancy ‘The Slut’ Wheeler.

“What the hell?” Tom asks, shaking his head back and forth. “Oh my God!”

“Do it, Steve!” Nancy yells again. “Say you’re sorry for destroying me! Apologize for what you did to me.” 

“Look, I’m not Steve!” Tom yells back. He’s pulling at the handcuffs with all of his strength. “I’m not Steve!” 

“Nancy, that is enough!” Beverly says, holding her hand up. “Stop, it’s over!” 

Nancy looks up at her slowly. 

“We did it. You did it.”

Nancy’s eyes fill with tears.

“You are crazy! Oh my God, you’re crazy as hell!” Tom can’t open his eyes because of the syrup in them.

“Nancy?” Beverly asks.

“I’m fine.” Nancy says. The wig she’s wearing is mussed up and her lipstick is smudged. “We’re done here.”

\---

A stack of newspapers is dropped on the table. It’s the next day at school. The headline reads “Book of Shame”. Eddie straightens the pile out.

“Quite the expose.” Beverly says, holding one of the copies up. “Whenever did you find the time to write it?”

Eddie sighs.

“Uh, last night. I stayed up all night. I couldn’t sleep after… Well, after I found out about Nancy. I feel so bad for sending her into that situation. I didn’t even think about what happened with Steve and I just…”

“So, who was Steve?” Beverly asks gently.

“Steve was… the guy she lost her virginity to. They slept together and then he told his friends. Then, his friends wrote Nancy ‘The Slut’ Wheeler on a giant sign the whole town saw it. Then, he moved away with his family and we haven’t seen him since. This was like 2 years ago.” Eddie runs a hand through his hair. “She never talks about it and I just figured.. she’d moved on. I just can’t stand knowing the pain I put her through.”

“That’s disgusting.” Beverly thinks for a second and her eyes soften. “Eddie, if you see Nancy soon, can you just tell her thank you? I know this really dug up some painful memories for her, but she came through for me in a way no one has ever done before. And you did, too. I don’t know how to express my gratitude. I truly don’t deserve you.” Beverly smiles at Eddie warmly.

“I’m sure she’ll very much appreciate that.” Eddie sighs. “Honestly, I’m glad we did it, no matter the outcome. I’m sick of guys like Tom and Steve doing horrible things to girls like Nancy, and Max, and you. The world needed some justice.”

Beverly puts a hand on Eddie’s shoulder.

“The best thing we can do for Nancy now is just be there for her.”

\---

Good and evil. Light and dark. Beverly and Nancy. Two sides of the same Janus coin. Given Eddie’s article, Keene needed a sacrificial lamb. Needed to make an example of someone. So after Beverly’s aunt negotiated a lesser sentence for our two avenging angels, Coach Rogan, to save his job, to save the school’s reputation, was forced to cut his own beloved son and his goon squad, from the team. An action that, though none of them knew it at the time, would have terrible consequences in the weeks to come. 

“Thanks, Eddie. Thanks, Beverly.” Max Mayfield says to the pair as the football players who were cut are making their way out of the building. Bill, who seems to be trying to make peace is right there next to them.

“Thank you, Max, for going on the record.” Eddie says. “It made all of the difference with Keene.”

“You’re the bravest of them all, Max Mayfield.” Beverly admits. 

“Hashtag Justice for Max.” Bill Denbrough says. 

But one thing was certain, Eddie and Beverly, now B&E, and maybe forever, had been forged. They had walked through the flames and survived. 

Eddie and Bill burned the playbook that same day. The notebook was dumped into a trash can by Eddie, covered in lighter fluid, and the match was dropped in by Bill. The pair watched the book go up in flames and it felt like the pain of the previous years was maybe, just maybe, being healed.


End file.
